Unholy Fate
by DeLeyano
Summary: Life had been so simple. Wake up, go to work, break up a few fights at the bar, and go home. I never went looking for danger or trouble, yet it still found me. Not to mentioned that it also dragged me into this second Holy War, or whatever they wanted to call it. My first attempt at a character x reader story. I didn't want to give too much away in the summary, so please read!
1. Chapter 1

Wow, it's been a while since I've written anything. Well, this is my first attempt at a character x reader story and hopefully the plot isn't too confusing. And for now, I'm keeping Estarossa as Estarossa.

I don't own anything; Seven Deadly Sins belongs to Nakaba Suzuki.

Chapter 1

When I first heard about the return of the demon race, I laughed, and blew it off. A race that had vanished 3,000 years ago had suddenly managed to return from out of the blue? Yeah, right. Most likely some kids had been out past dark, playing in the forest, and had gotten scared. Sure, there were monsters, but not demons.

When I heard a rumor that the so-called "demons" were feeding on human souls, I shrugged, and disregarded the information. Where was the proof? These travelers come from afar, stopping in the tavern I work at with dozens of wild tales, each one more extravagant than the last. I'd served ale to Holy Knights and peasants, fathers and convicts. They all had their stories to tell. And while I silently nodded and agreed with all of them, I always kept a bit of skepticism is mind. It did no good for business to tell all my customers they were full of shit.

When Camelot fell, I was only slightly concerned. The city was so far south, I hardly ever had customers from that region.

Today the tavern was mostly empty, other than a group of men who were well into their fourth round, and ranting loudly about how trade with Camelot would be hindered. I wiped the dishwater off a silver kitchen knife, watching the metal glint back at me, and slipped the sharp object into my boot, making sure the handle was within reach, but not visible. Sure, black combat boots weren't exactly standard barmaid attire, but they certainly helped kick the drunks out of the bar once they'd had too much.

"Another round, miss!" One man called out. His arm raised in an attempt to flag me down; his friends sat beside him. Their eyes glassy from intoxication, fingers numb and deft as they continued their game of cards. I mean really, if there was an impending threat as great as the demon race baring down on human society, you would think these people might sober up a bit.

"Coming right up," I called out to them over my shoulder as I gathered four pints together, and set them on the table in front of them. The ale foaming over the top to run down the side of the glasses.

One of the men grabbed the handle of the nearest pint and took a swig. The foam sticking to his beard as he drank. "This really is the best ale in town, ya know?" He took another swig and set the glass down on the wooden table. Too hard, the liquid sloshed over the edge, coating the man's hand in the sticky beverage. "Who's your supplier? I hope they're not down south, or this place will be closed in a week." The man laughed and shook his head. Too drunk to show any real concern. I handed the man a dish towel to dry the beer from his hand. "Nothin' and no one is gettin' in or out of Camelot for a while. I heard the city fell in a night, imagine that? All those Holy Knights who've been training for years and armed with every sort of weapon you could possibly think of, and they were all defeated in a night." He shook his head, staring drunkenly at his cards.

"You know what finished that city off though, right?" His friend started. I quietly exited back to my station behind the bar, half listening to their rambling as I washed empty glasses. "A demon." He finished, throwing a pair of aces down in front of him.

I rolled my eyes.

"One demon. All by itself. Took out the city in one night." He continued his rambling, and I tuned the conversation out. Again, with the demon clan. Blah blah blah. If this threat was so real, then where was the army? The curfews? The rationing of goods? I had half a mind to cut these guys off right here and now.

"Miss, can I get another?" A voice called out. I turned, my arms crossed over my chest. A remark about how the man had already had enough on the tip of my tongue, when something crashed into the wall of the bar from outside hard enough to shake the building.

I stumbled, my arms going out to balance myself and my mouth hung half open in a "what-the-heck-just-happened" look. The men had dropped their cards, their gazes all fixed at the wall that had been hit.

While the wall hadn't broken, high pitched screams could be heard in the distance. Hesitantly, one of the men wobbled over to the window to determine what all the commotion was about. "By god, it's a Holy Night!" He slurred, his friends drunkenly rushed over to confirm his declaration. I stayed where I was, my eyes darting to the front door, looking for any sign of an intruder. There was no fighting festival in town. Which meant that whatever ruckus was going on outside wasn't friendly competition.

"Well shit, you're right!" The other man exclaimed. Another thud hit the wall, causing the men to jump back and lose their footing, resulting in the four of them falling on their asses, a bewildered look in their eyes.

I slowly edged behind the bar, and slipped through the back door leading to the kitchen. My fingers itched to grab the knife I'd slipped into my boot, but I held off. If there was a fight going on outside, I'd rather look unarmed and innocent than as if I were choosing sides.

Walking quickly towards the back exit, I peered through the small window that was set into the door to assess the scene. Behind the bar was an alley that was only used for deliveries of ale and food, or for taking out the trash at the end of the night. I heard my breath catch, forgetting to breathe for a second as I felt my heart pound in my chest. Funny, how just a little adrenaline could have such a large impact on the human body.

Carefully, I turned the door knob until I felt the latch click, and I edged the door open just enough for me to slip out. The chill of the night air hit the exposed skin of my arms and shoulders, the thin fabric of my violet shirt doing nothing to shield my body from the environment. While some places required their staff to wear revealing uniforms on purpose to draw customers in, I made the choice to wear the outfits myself. The fact that I got to keep all of my tips, rather than pool them together with the rest of the staff helped with that decision.

Creeping to the edge of the building, being mindful of the possibility of a stranger sneaking up behind me, I peered around the corner to the edge of the building where said Holy Knight had hit. Sure enough, not one, but two Holy Knights now lay unconscious at the base of the building. Both were dressed in full armor, their faces obscured by the fading light as the sun set. One had a long gash along his shoulder where the steel plated armor had been ripped away, leaving a dark liquid seeping from the wound. The other Holy Knight appeared uninjured, but his breast plate had been smashed in. I pressed my lips together as I weighed my options: find out if the two knights were alive and offer help or run in the opposite direction.

 _Damn my caring soul_ , I thought, as I swiftly ran the few yards to the knights, dropping to my knees as I shook the nearest one.

"Hey," I whispered, jostling the guy's shoulder, his head slumped to the side, and I felt his carotid, nothing. I winced, as I gave the guy with the beat in breast plate one last look. Switching my attention to the second Holy Knight, I carefully raised my hand to his neck. Almost as soon as my fingers grazed his skin, gray eyes opened wide, his uninjured arm grasped at my wrist, holding it in a death grip. "What happened?" I asked, as I fought the urge to pull away from him.

"You need to get out of here," The words were rushed, the panic in his voice set me on edge. "Run," he stuttered.

"Come with me," I moved onto my feet, crouching in front of him, ready to help pull the man to his feet. "I'll help you," I pushed myself up, pulling on the hand that he had wrapped around my wrist. The metal from his armor bit into my skin, but I ignored it and pulled.

The man didn't move, and I cursed myself again. "Can't believe I'm going to do this for a stranger," I muttered through clenched teeth.

I dropped down again and placed my hands on either side of the Holy Knight's face, his gray eyes staring at me franticly. "You better not make me regret this," I hissed as I pushed power from myself into him.

My own little secret: the ability to loan my magic and strength to others.

I only gave the man enough to overcome the pain of his wound, and the fear of whatever had caused the injury; because, whatever I gave to someone else took time to regenerate.

"You're a Holy Knight too! What's your name?" The man practically yelled.

"No I'm not!" I sneered, "and it's (y/n)." Once again, I attempted to pull the guy to his feet, this time, he stood, shaky at first, but he found his footing quickly.

"Can you heal him to?" The Holy Knight asked. He gestured towards the man on the ground.

"Do you see your arm? Are you still bleeding? Yes." I stated flatly, "and I can't bring back the dead either," The Holy Knight flinched at my brashness. "Now what-"

"Well shit, I didn't mean to kill the bastard," a voice drolled out behind me. I looked up to the Holy Knight, whose gaze went over my head, as he stood frozen in a fresh wave of fear. His mouth hung partly open and his eyes darted down to meet mine before looking up again.

"Run," the word was barely audible. The knight's hand jerked to his side, and I finally noticed a dagger at his hip. His hand brushed the hilt of the blade, but it's as if his nerves had gone numb, he couldn't seem to grab it. "You can't fight him," the words seemed strained, as if it took all of the Holy Knight's energy just to speak.

"What are-" I started, but was cut off as a hand shoved me aside with enough force to knock me to the ground. "What the fuck?" I yelled; pushing myself up onto my side and looking over my shoulder.

I froze. Any anger I had at the Holy Knight or whoever pushed me aside was practically drained from my body. I struggled to get on my knees, even catching my breath was exhausting. I reached for the knife in my boot, and thought better of it once I saw my assailant.

Another man stood where I had been mere seconds ago, several inches taller than the Holy Knight, dressed in a navy coat with silver armor on his arms and legs. Silver hair fell to brush his shoulders, and he gazed down at the Holy Knight with a lazy smirk on his face.

"How did the human race manage to take over Britania when you're all so weak?" The man wondered out loud, I doubt he was expecting an answer. "I guess you'll have to do though," he spoke, as he raised his arm and splayed his fingers out over the man's chest. The Holy Knight acted as if he were being strangled, choking on some unseen force, his eyes widened in terror, looking at me once more, almost begging me to run, but I was frozen in place.

Then the knight's body went limp, and I could see the glow of white light rise up from his throat and out his mouth. The light hovered between the two men for a second, then the silver haired man opened his own mouth, and ate it!?

"Wha-" The sound that escaped my mouth was more of a frightened squeak than anything comprehensible. I slammed the palm of my hand against my lips, resisting the urge to scream. All of the stories from my patrons at the bar rushed back to me at once. What had they been so afraid of? Oh right, soul eating demons. I felt shaky, and if I weren't already on the ground I'd probably faint. Damn me for writing all those tales off as a hoax.

I looked up once more. First, I glanced at the Holy Knight. His muscles had gone slack, his eyes dimmed, and any hint of the man, whose name I hadn't even known, was gone. I glanced at the monster beside him. As if he just remembered my existence, he idly looked over his shoulder, black eyes meeting mine. "I guess you're next," he stated, as his attention focused on me.

I felt nothing but fear, and thankfully, finally, my self-preservation kicked in. I vaguely felt my hands push against the ground, felt my body shift its weight onto my feet, and push off against the ground. I whipped my body around the corner, back down the alley behind the bar. Turning blindly at the next chance I got and unknowingly throwing myself into the chaos of my home town.

Camelot had been defeated by a single demon, the old drunk's voice rambled on in my head. But it couldn't be the same one, right? I continued my sprint through town, taking random turns down roads that I'd yet to explore, trying to put as much distance between myself and that monster.

Eventually, I came to a thin corridor behind a row of houses. Well, more like shacks rather than houses. Certainly not the safest part of town, but luckily it would seem that the demon didn't both chasing after me. I stumbled and held myself up against a nearby wall. The wood bent beneath my weight as I leaned against it. Definitely not the best place to be. I crouched down, concealing myself behind what was probably a dumpster but, I couldn't care less right now. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, consciously slowing my breathing as I let my brain process what had just happened.

"Mommy, someone's outside," my head jolted up fast enough to give myself whiplash as my eyes met a pair of tiny blue ones.

* * *

And there's the first chapter. Hope you liked it, comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated. I apologize for any bad grammar; like I said, it's been a while since I've written anything. Chapter 2 is already in progress.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The child couldn't have been more than three. His blue eyes wide as he looked at me, one thumb in his mouth, as he used his other chubby hand to hold himself up against the door frame. Dark, curly hair fell in his eyes, and he wore no shoes. A woman came up behind the child. She had the same dark hair but tied in a bun on top of her head, with dark circles under cautious eyes.

Apparently, they already knew about what was happening in the rest of the town, and the mother wasn't about to start trusting strangers. The woman ushered the child back inside the house, and stood guard in the doorway, like I was the threat rampaging through town.

"You need to leave," her words were curt; but she didn't appear to be as much of a threat.

"Give me like five more minutes and I will," I retorted, turning my gaze away from the woman. Breathe in. Breath out. Repeat. Why did I bother loaning any strength to that Holy Knight? If I had known he'd fold so quickly, I never would have…

"You need to leave now." The woman stated, louder this time. I blew out a breath through clenched teeth. The last thing I wanted to do was draw attention to myself.

"Excuse me, but do you really think it's going to make a difference whether you live or die if you just let me rest for five freakin' minutes?" I sneered; the woman flinched at my words. I caught the glimpse of a remorseful look across the woman's face. But her eyes narrowed suspiciously at me.

"Fine, then come inside. I don't need some loiterer drawing attention to this side of town." She turned, not looking back to see if I followed. I didn't have to think twice before I rose and quickly ran inside the house.

The house wasn't more than a room, well maybe two. I could vaguely see the outline of a second door in the wall to the left of me. The woman shut the door behind me, and everything was dark, except for where a few shards of light leaked through the ceiling onto an old rug that covered a dirt floor.

"I wasn't aware people lived around this area of town." I muttered, not really expecting an answer.

"We don't, but it's more secluded than the rest of town. We're less likely to be noticed here." I silently nodded in agreement. True, no one could possibly live here. There was no kitchen, no bedrooms, probably no bathrooms. If I raised my hand, I could brush the ceiling with my fingertips. The panic from the rest of the town could still be heard through the thin walls, and honestly, even I could probably kick down the door with little effort. "It shouldn't be much longer," the woman spoke again. Now she sat cross-legged on the floor pulling the child into her lap, and she ran her fingers through his hair. The child held a toy in his hands, fingers deftly passing it back and forth between hands, and raising it to his lips to bite it.

"For what? The town to be dead?" I started. Sure, my family could go to hell, not that'd I'd seen my parents in years; but I had friends here, coworkers, people I cared about. Even the drunks I dealt with at the bar didn't deserve this. I thought about the two Holy Knights, who I hadn't known, but they still didn't deserve to die. What had the one said? You can't fight him? Ha, sure I could. If I actually had any desire too.

"Not dead, just," the woman paused, not quite sure what to call it. "We came up from the south, not quite as far as Camelot, but from the villages around the outskirts of the city. My son and I haven't lived in one town for more than two weeks before one of the demons shows up. We're running out of places to hide."

I pressed my lips together and kicked my foot against the rug, causing it to wrinkle, before smoothing it out again. "What are they after?" I asked; not sure why, but I suddenly didn't like the close confines of the shack I was in. It almost seemed better to be out in the open, at least I'd have an escape. Here I felt trapped.

"Souls," the woman shrugged as if a soul were nothing. As she hugged the child closer, I saw something glint in the faint light as the child held the toy up to his eyes, and then bit it again. "They like the Holy Knights. More strength to obtain from those ones, but they'll go after anyone really." She paused, and I heard more yelling outside. This time it wasn't panic, but someone shouting commands, trying to organize an assault.

 _You can't fight him_ , the voice echoed in my head again. What the hell did that even mean?

"My fiancé was a Holy Knight," the woman continued talking, although I was only half listening. I walked towards the side of the room closest to the group of people attempting to launch an assault. I felt more on edge than ever before. If there was going to be a fight on the other side of this shack, then we needed to get out of here. "…never returned from Camelot," I turned back to see the woman sobbing quietly, her face hidden in the shadows, but the child looked up at me, brilliant blue eyes visible in the dark as he played with that toy.

"seven, nine, oh" his high-pitched gurgling voice a sharp contrast to the hushed silence that wrapped around us. "eight, one, two" I smiled as the child tried to count, the numbers completely out of order.

I took another breath and blew out, "we should leave. If they fight right outside, this place won't last five seconds." I paced towards the back door.

"eight, five, oh." The child said again; but this time I heard the woman's breath hitch, and a sudden dread filled my entire being. I turned to see the child looking up at me through his little toy, and the woman's eyes were wide as a realization dawned on her.

"You're a Holy Knight," her words were barely audible; I reached for the door behind me, just as the first wave of screams and shouts erupted from the other side of the shack.

"No, I'm not," I stated. My fingers clawed at the wall, trying to find the rickety door handle to open it. "I am not a Holy Knight," I repeated; but my words fell on deaf ears.

"You have power like the Holy Knights," she whispered. "More than any of the knights here, for certain." She spoke more to herself. Finally, my fingers wrapped around the cool metal of the handle. I turned it quickly, whoops, wrong way.

A blast hit the far wall of the shack and darkness tore the weak building apart. I threw myself to the ground, but I still flew several feet backwards, my head hitting something solid. Spots filled my vision; my ears rang. I coughed, and pushed myself up on my hands and knees, barely able to keep myself up in that position as I raised my head. _Where's the damn kid?_ I felt concern, even though the little shit had given me up.

As my vision cleared, (h/l), (h/c) strands of messy hair hung in my eyes as I watched the darkness pull back from the surrounding area, revealing flattened buildings, mutilated corpses, hollow bodies. I followed the darkness all the way up, until it reached its wielder. It snaked around the demon's arm, before disappearing back inside the monster's body altogether.

I was frozen again, too terrified to move. Hastily, I glanced around, but the entire area was wide open, no side streets to sneak through, nothing to hide behind.

"Estarossa, it does no good to go about killing all the damned humans before we eat their souls. Melascula isn't here, so once they're dead, they're gone." I watched bewildered as another man approached the demon. His hair was dark, and much longer, and he wore red armor.

The demon, I guess Estarossa was his name, turned back to look at the man approaching him. "These souls are weak, we wouldn't gain much from them, so they make better target practice instead."

"You practically obliterated them," the dark-haired man sneered, or well, I guess if he enjoyed eating souls, then he was probably a demon too.

"They annoyed me," as if that was reason enough to gut half a town. I bit my tongue to keep myself quiet. Neither of the two seemed to have noticed me, but-

"Six, oh, oh, oh, oh" my body went numb as I heard the little voice chime through the air. My head turned towards the child just as the two demons did the same. Something tackled me from behind, pushing my face into the dirt, knees digging into my back, pinning me to the ground.

"There you go, Fraudrin. I didn't kill all of them."

"That's a child," I heard an odd lit in the demon's voice. As if he felt some sort of hesitation towards killing a child.

"No! NO!" the shout came from the person on top of me, the scream threatened to pierce my eardrums. "Take this one instead! She's stronger than the Holy Knights! Please leave my son and I in peace!" The woman cried above me, begging these obviously merciless creatures for compassion. I struggled to get out of the woman's grasp, but damn, she was stronger than she looked.

"Fucking bitch," I muttered as I finally squirmed my way out from under her. I couldn't blame her though, if I had a child to protect, I'd probably do the same. The woman grabbed at my legs, trying to hold me in place, but a swift kick to her chest sent her backwards as I scrambled to my feet, running face first into someone's chest.

"Ow," I muttered, as I stumbled back, a hand reached out and grabbed my shirt, keeping me from falling, but also pulling me forward till I was flush against the silver-haired demon. How could he move so quickly? He'd been several yards away a second ago.

"The barmaid from earlier?" I heard him question; but I ignored it as I tried to pry his hand away from me. Somewhere in my peripheral vision, I saw the woman grab the child and scramble away, the demons both had their attention fixed on me.

"Let me go!" I yelled, pulling back hard enough that my shirt threatened to tear. Literally, the least of my worries right now. The demon grabbed my wrists instead squeezing hard enough to make me scream.

"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" I screamed again and again, raising a leg in attempt to kick out at the monster. Even then, I felt the strength leave my body.

"Enough of that," he muttered before I felt a stabbing pain at my wrists that ran down my arms. My vision blurred and my body went limp as a foreign power pulsed through me. Just as quickly as it had started, it was gone. I panted, my body felt limp, the only thing holding me up now was Estarossa's grip on my wrists. "Scream and I do it again," he threatened, his dark eyes stared down into my (e/c) ones.

"What's your name?" He asked; I stared up at him with as much defiance as I could muster considering the circumstances.

"Fuck you," I sneered; he laughed.

"Another life time, maybe. But since you seem to be the strongest person in this waste of a town, your soul is mine." I watched as his other hand pressed against my abdomen, and I felt the same sickening, choking sensation that the Holy Knight before me must have felt.

"Wait! Wait!" I begged, tears in the corners of my eyes, "I'm more useful to you alive than dead!" I desperately bargained.

"I doubt it," the demon muttered, but his attempt to take my soul lessened.

"I can transfer my power from one person to another," I rambled, "and regenerate it," the pain around my wrists continued to decrease. Even if he didn't say it, the demon Estarossa was, at least, slightly intrigued. "If you let me keep my soul and you leave this town, I'll give my power it to you," I finished, "no tricks."

"A living generator," the comment came from behind me. I had forgotten about the other threat. "She couldn't possibly have enough power to fuel all of the 10 commandments though."

Estarossa smirked down at me before looking at his companion, "who said I would share?" I grit my teeth as I'm pretty sure the demon, Fraudrin, or whatever his name was, growled.

The grip around my wrists loosened completely, and I ripped my arms away from the demon, rubbing the red marks left by his grasp that would surely bruise. "Now's your chance to prove yourself," Estarossa's voice was much closer this time, his tone taunting. I hesitated before placing my hands on either side of his chest, making sure to give him the darkest look that I could muster before transferring my energy to him.

I hated myself. For a second, the ground spun, but it quickly faded as the transfer was complete. I felt drained, exhausted, but not totally. Apparently though, he could tell I hadn't given everything up.

"You said no tricks," a hand around my throat, tight but not squeezing. "finish it, and we'll see if you really can regenerate all of your strength."

I bit my lip to keep from cursing him as I placed my hands on his chest again. Letting the rest of my power transfer to the demon. Now my vision blurred, and I felt my body slump towards the ground, except someone caught me.

"I guess you are as useful as you said," the words were faint above me. I hadn't been this weak in years, maybe ever.

"Now let me go," I don't know where the strength to even speak came from; but I could hear Estarossa laugh above me, I tried to push away from him, but it was no use. "Please," the word tasted bitter on my tongue.

"I can't let someone as useful as yourself go, not until my power is fully restored anyways." I felt my body being lifted off the ground. My mind panicked as I struggled against the arms holding me hostage, but it was a feeble attempt at best. "Even then, I'll probably just kill you after," again I struggled, but my vision finally went black, my ears were deaf to anything else the demon said, and my entire body was devoid of feeling.

* * *

Well there's chapter 2, what do you think?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Estarossa what do you think you're doing?" An unknown voice spoke. Everything was dark and freezing and numb. When I tried to turn my head towards the speaker, I found that I was too weak to move. Or, maybe it was because I was restrained. I couldn't tell up from down, and as I dragged air into my lungs, I could feel my heart beat flutter in my chest.

 _I'm never transferring that much power ever again_ , I thought to myself. I'd rather let the demon kill me than risk being this defenseless.

"He brought back a pet?" A female voice mused somewhere off to my right. Again, I tried to move, and again, I failed.

An exasperated sigh, "We're not taking prisoners. I thought you said that you'd rather stay here than go out and collect souls." It was the voice I'd heard earlier. Male for sure, I thought.

"I said I wanted to enjoy the fresh air after being locked up for three millennia." I must have flinched at Estarossa's voice, because then his attention focused on me. "Are you awake yet?" I tried to curse at him, but all that came out was a strangled groan.

"Were you planning to share? Her magical power's terribly low right now, but her soul seems delicious," the female voice hissed, it was closer to me now. Finally, I could open my eyes to see a pink blur in front of me. It moved closer, like a wild animal curious about its prey. "She's freezing. What'd you do? Fly all the way here with her?" The voice asked. As my vison cleared, I could see two dark eyes peering down at me, and when she moved to touch me, I could feel Estarossa's arms tighten around me.

"Melascula I will kill you myself if you get any closer," Estarossa snarled; and I saw the girl back off a bit. Contempt written on her face, but she wasn't going to push her luck. She had long pink hair and tendrils of darkness wrapped around her as she floated in the air. I couldn't see the other male. I looked up towards the night sky and cringed inwardly as I saw Estarossa. He glared at the pink haired demon. I wanted to crawl inside myself and disappear when I realized that I was cradled in him arms, but my body was still weak and useless.

"Estarossa, you can't keep a human just for your own amusement," a new voice called out. It wasn't as deep as the others, but I'm pretty sure it was male as well.

"Weren't you the one who brought up the idea of hosting a fighting festival to lure the strongest humans to us?" I wasn't sure, but I think I heard a tinge of aggravation in Estarossa's voice as his attention turned towards the new person. "Besides, I didn't take her for entertainment; she's actually going to be useful once her magic's back." Then his eyes glanced down at me. I shut mine fast, begging him to believe I was still unconscious. "You're awake," fuck me.

His arms tightened around me again, pulling me closer to his chest. I didn't have time to react (not that I could have) and suddenly we were airborne, the fridge air hit the bare skin of my arms like a thousand knives, but Estarossa didn't seem phased in the slightest. We landed on a thin cliff, above the rest of the demons, before he unceremoniously dropped me on the ground.

"Ow!" I groaned as I landed on my ass. "You didn't need to drop me!" I shouted, my voice was weak, and the words felt thick on my tongue.

Estarossa shrugged as he stared down at me, a look of mild amusement in his eyes. "I don't normally try to keep humans alive. I forget how weak you all are."

I ignored his comment as I shakily pushed myself to my feet, my muscles screamed at me to stop, but I couldn't. If there was any chance of escape, then I had to take it. I stumbled towards the edge, losing my footing, and just as I thought I'd topple over, I was jerked back by Estarossa. Of course, as I looked over the side, I could see that the ground was maybe fifty feet below. The edge of the cliff was a downward slant until it dropped off into nothing. I looked behind me, where the cliff rose up and jutted out of the side of a strange rock formation. The path down was steep, and with the current state of my body, I wouldn't have the strength nor the balance to get myself down safely.

The cliff edge we were standing on was thin, maybe big enough for the two of us, but not a third. "You won't get down from here," Estarossa spoke; his voice came from directly above and behind me. It reminded me of how close he was; his hand still wrapped in the fabric of my shirt, holding me in place. Just the sound of his voice made me want to claw his eyes out. "Not unless I allow it." He added, as if he knew that just the idea of letting myself be dependent on him would drive me crazy.

"We had a deal," I hissed through clenched teeth as I turned to face him. I had to crane my neck back to look up at him.

"And I let you live. I also let whatever humans were left in that wreck of a town live." He spoke as idly as if he were talking about the weather. I clenched my fists at my side, trying to find the strength to hit him, but I couldn't. The more I tried, the weaker I felt. He smirked and raised his hand lazily to my jaw, his fingers warm against my skin before he gripped my jaw painfully tight, forcing me to look up at him. "But I never said I'd let you go; you're mine now. And I'll use you up until there's nothing left."

* * *

Chapter three is finished. I know it's much shorter than the others, for some reason this chapter was really hard to write, so I had to let it sit for a few days and then come back and edit it to see if I really liked it. Hopefully it's not awful.


	4. Chapter 4

It's been forever, I know. Darn writer's block.

Chapter 4

Gray clouds hung solemnly in the air as lightening leaped between them. Thunder rolled across the sky in the distance, I pulled the thin fabric of my cloak around me and kept running. The air was thick and burned my lungs. Smoke? Was that smoke? I coughed, stumbling over a rock, my hands reached out in front of me to brace my fall.

 _Why am I running?_ I looked up, the landscape before me drifted in and out of focus. The gusts of frigid wind made the grass roll like the waves of an ocean.

 _This is wrong_. Another dreamy thought in the back of my head. I flexed my fingers in the earth below me; they felt numb. Pushing up on my hands and knees, the weight on my back increased as if someone was holding me down.

"Who's there?" My words were swept away by the wind. Thunder roared across the sky, the only answer to my question. I felt a few raindrops burn against my face. I pushed up again, using more force this time, bracing myself for the attacker to counter.

No one was there. "What the," Since there was no one to counter my momentum, I end up wildly flailing about for a half a second before falling on my left side. The invisible weight always on my back, but never pushing against me. I could hear the heavy pitter-patter of raindrops.

I lifted my head and looked around, squinting into the distance as if my assailant could have run off that fast. No one's here. My tongue felt thick, the numbness in my fingertips increased, spreading to my hands and up my arms to wrap around my throat.

 _I can't move_ , the thought terrified me. My vision darkened, and I swear I felt my heart slow. _I'm not going to make it! I'm not going to make it_! The words rickashed off my skull; fear choked me, as I laid there, paralyzed.

 _Make it to what_? A voice asked, but I couldn't answer it.

"Hey," Another voice spoke. The words sounded distant, yet they seemed to pull me away. "Hey!" I heard it again; it sounded more aggravated that before.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder and pull me back. Like a switch, my eyes opened. Panic ran rampant in my brain as my body automatically fought whatever was pulling it. I squinted my eyes against the harsh sun, before my gaze focused on Estarossa only inches in front of me.

"Ah!' I started to scream as I threw my weight backwards, desperate to get away. In less than a second, my current predicament came back to me. The adrenaline hit me full force and my muscles bunched together, ready to sprint. Except, then I remembered where I was. Stuck on some cliff side with my kidnapper. Even if I managed to escape Estarossa, there were still nine other demons around here that would probably kill me on site. After reassessing the area, and finding that nothing had changed, I unceremoniously sat back on the ground, pulled my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around them. Weakly, I glanced towards Estarossa, who wore a bored, and unimpressed look on his face.

"Do you always cry in your sleep?" I felt heat tickle my cheeks, and I bit my tongue. Quickly, I brushed the last remaining tears away with the backs of my hands. Stupid raindrops, I thought, as I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not crying," I retorted, my throat felt raw. I pressed my right cheek into my knees and looked out into the skyline.

"I hope it doesn't happen again. That'd be bothersome." I dug my nails in the palms of my hands to keep his words from getting to me. I felt stronger than the last time I'd been awake. Maybe not 100%, but close. Although, even if my strength was back, I'm still not sure how that's going to help me.

The edge of the cliff sat mere inches from my side, and I vaguely questioned what it would take to break it. Probably not much. The only thing keeping me from scooting away from the edge was Estarossa himself. Who had stretched himself out, leaning back against the earth, hands behind his head, dark eyes still on me. His thigh almost brushed against me, and I was vaguely aware that I was still within arms reach for him.

I chose to ignore him, hugging my knees and looking out over the cliffside instead. I had to stay alert. There had to be some way out of this, all I had to do was be patient.

"Is your power regenerated yet?" Estarossa spoke again, almost casually, except that I could hear the menace laced into those words. Just like that, I felt the adrenaline rush my system, telling every fiber in my being to run.

"No," I answered shortly. As if keeping all conversation to a minimum would benefit me.

"Are you lying to me?" A light push against my side threatened to send me over the side. I heard him laugh as I shrieked and scrambled as far away from the edge as I could, which only pushed me up against Estarossa. I balled my fists against my sides, frustrated beyond reason.

Then I saw a silver glint, and my mind was overcome with what was probably overly enthusiastic optimism.

I still had the knife from the bar.

"If you haven't realized yet, us commandments have some special traits," I heard Estarossa speak, but the words were lost on my ears. How could this new information help me? I certainly couldn't beat him in a fight, but, "…turns to stone if you lie to him," Estarossa finished whatever he was saying.

There were still nine other demons that were presumably close by though. Oh well, one thing at a time, right?

My irrational thoughts must have spoke to the best of me, because almost before even I could comprehend it, my body pounced towards Estarossa, my right hand gripping the knife tight, the metal piece aimed at his chest. Something caught me around the waist, knocking the air out of my lungs. I brought my right arm down, slashing the knife through the air. Estarossa caught my wrist in his hand, and as I went to hit him with my left, he grabbed that one as well pinning them above me. I breathed hard; my head hurt. I must have hit it pretty good when he flipped us over. Although even that I could barely remember.

"Did you just ignore everything I said?" Estarossa asked, aggravated.

I struggled against his grip, and when my hands almost managed to slip free, he tightened his grip and this time, I dropped the knife. "Ow!" I yelled in response to the pain, as I mournfully watched the knife teeter on the edge of the cliff, before it dropped to the ground below.

"Obviously," I retorted back, before attempting to throw my weight up and to knock Estarossa off of me. I don't think I moved him even an inch, and yet I still felt my chest heave up and down, raking in air desperately. "How are you stealing my power?" I asked through panting breaths. Estarossa's face went in and out of clarity above me, but his apathetic expression was never phased.

"As the commandment of benevolence, you cannot do harm against me," Estarossa spoke softly against my ear. The words sent goosebumps over my skin, and I had never been more desperate to get away from him.

"Benevolence my ass," I muttered, as I weakly tried to pull my arms from his grasp.

"Now, answer me again," the sickly-sweet words curled the hairs on the back of my heck, "are you lying to me?" his weight alone threatened to crush me, and the struggle to breath only increased.

"No," I gasped, tears threatened to fall at the corners of my eyes. "I wasn't lying," I closed my eyes, unable to hold his gaze anymore. I felt his weight shift above me, before it was gone completely.

"How unfortunate," I knew Estarossa was right next to me, but the words barely registered as I sat up, desperate to get away from him. There wasn't much room on the cliff, and as I gazed over the edge at the ground below, I wondered how much worse could death really be?

"It's already been a day and a half; how much longer do I have to wait?" I felt Estarossa's fingertips trace along my spine. His hand dusted around the nape of my neck, almost caressing. Except I already knew the damage he could do.

And there was nothing I could do to fight back.


	5. Chapter 5

I know I suck at updating, but I've finally figured out a somewhat logical way to bridge the two pieces of my story. Hopefully updates will be more frequently from now on. I really struggled with figuring out this plot line cause when I started it, it really didn't have to much of a plot.

So, picking up right where we left off…

Chapter 5

"That depends on how often you plan on throwing me around," I muttered under my breath. The fingertips tracing the nape of my neck froze. My muscles tensed, waiting for him to grab my neck, choke me, maybe dangle me over the cliff edge.

Slowly, I felt a finger trace down my spine, carefully running over each vertebra, the tension building between us. What the fuck was he doing, picking out which bone in my back he wanted to break first?! "Well, are you gonna-" I rounded on him. It must have been the impending sense of doom lingering in the air that made me so volatile. Which wasn't going to do any good for my situation.

Considering that I have no weapons.

Not even basic hand to hand fighting skills.

I raised my fist in the air; the muscles in my legs flexing beneath me. I wasn't sure if my mind was planning to fight or run. Actually, any common sense that I once had, had definitely disappeared long ago.

Then I came face to face with the deadly sharp tip of a knife. The black blade was mere inches from the tip of my nose, making me go cross-eyed just looking at it.

"You're a little jumpy," Estarossa commented, the soft words contrasted against the sleek metal in front of me. I watched as the knife slowly pulled back from my face, the handle returning to the hand raised behind it.

I dug my nails into the palms of my hands, biting the inside of my cheek as I glared at him. "I'm not going to recover any of my power if I'm stuck here, with you, getting the shit beat out of me every time I gain consciousness." Technically, what I was saying was true. If I had to keep using energy to heal myself, then I wasn't going to recover enough to help anyone else. "Not to mention, it's been like three days since I've had any food or water, and since I'm human, I kinda require those to live." Estarossa apathetically gazed back at me. The knife was gone. Where? I hadn't seen, but it didn't look like he kept any weapons on his physical self. Great, another obstacle for me to contend with.

"It's been two," Estarossa corrected.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, surprisingly I didn't get reprimanded for that. "You're missing my point!"

"You haven't complained once about either of those."

"Because I've been too focused on getting away from you!" I could see Estarossa's jaw clench as I raised my voice.

I felt something sharp prick my lower back, and I didn't need to turn around to know that the knife was back. "Well you don't need to worry about that," Estarossa reassured. I sat there frozen in place, the knife still at my back. "In fact, if you're brave enough to act this belligerent, then I think you have more than enough power to give me already."

Estarossa stood up, dragging me by the arm with him. The knife disappeared from behind me, but the threat was still there. To my disappointment, I knew that he was right.

"I can't give it all to you," I muttered, my eyes glancing at the cliff edge, there was another way out of this. "If I keep doing that, it's going to take longer and longer to recover." I refused to look up at him; it felt like admitting defeat.

Estarossa waited more patiently than I would have expected. I eyed the cliff edge one more time. It was literally maybe two feet away.

"Stop that," I heard Estarossa's voice above me, the closeness of his words almost startled me, but I wasn't going to give him the opportunity to call me jumpy again. "You don't want to die," the words sounded more sinister than comforting. "You're too stubborn to jump off that cliff. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here with me in the first place."

I glared up at him through (h/c) strands of hair, a small smirk graced his lips. I'd never wanted to slap someone more than right now. Stiffly, I placed my hands on his chest, the power tickling my fingertips already. He was right; I was too scared to die. "I can't give you all of it," I restated; Estarossa didn't show any sign of agreement, but he didn't threaten me either.

The power might have been ready to jump out of me, but I could feel the effects on my body instantly. My stamina decreased dramatically; my knees threatened to buck; and my stomach twisted with nausea. It only took a minute, but it felt like a thousand years as my conscious berated me _. You're helping the enemy_ , it hissed in the back of my head. I had thought I was saving the people in the town when I first met Estarossa; but apparently, I was just saving my own skin.

My vision blurred for a second. Estarossa's figure moved in and out of focus, and for a split second, he wasn't even there in front of me.

I felt the rain bite my skin; heard the wind scream in my ears; and in front of me, rolling fields of high grass stretched out in front of me. _I'm not going to make it_. Those words floated around meaninglessly in my skull again.

As quick as the hallucination had started, it ended. My hands shook as I pulled away from Estarossa. "You look like you're going to be sick," Estarossa stated; I glanced up at him.

"Well that's just how you make me feel," I snapped.

"I like you better when you're unconscious."

"Estarossa," a new voice spoke behind him. Estarossa looked over his shoulder back at the person who had spoken. I had to awkwardly lean to the side and crane my neck to see behind him.

"What do you want?" There was a lack of any expression in Estarossa's words; in fact, he almost sounded irritated by the interruption.

"Meliodas and the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins have reached the final rounds in Drole's and Gloxinia's competition." Estarossa turned to face the new person, and I finally got a good look at one of the other demons that was creeping around this place. And he looked… young.

Black hair, and black eyes that matched Estarossa's, the man stood a few feet away from us. His arms were crossed, and the expression he wore on his face had me convinced that he had never smiled a day in his life.

"I thought Galland said that he killed Meliodas," Estarossa replied, his words sounded thoughtful, almost excited.

The other guy shrugged, "Galland thought that he did, but we haven't seen him in a while either now."

"And what do you want me to do with this information, Zeldris?" Estarossa's asked.

"We're going to the fighting festival. All of us."

"If Meliodas was so weak that Galland defeated him, then Drole and Gloxinia should be capable of handling things," Estarossa spoke.

"Something changed with him," Zeldris spoke, "Gloxinia and Drole could be in over their heads."

"You've been spying on them?"

"No, they were right, you know. The fighting festival did bring the strongest souls to us."

"Apparently more than they could handle too," Estarossa muttered. I stood behind him, processing the information quickly to use it to my own advantage. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you stop playing with your pet," Zeldris spoke, his words bit into my skin even though I could barely see him.

Estarossa laughed, and I felt my cheeks get hot in embarrassment. That's really what I was here. The humiliation only made my will to escape stronger. "I can just bring her with me, it's not like she'll get in the way." An idea struck me that moment. "Besides, maybe she'll behave better if we scare the living shit out of her." Estarossa looked at me and smirked; I vaguely saw confusion cross his face as he eyed me.

I did my best to look weak. Let my joints and muscles go slack. Let my eyes glaze over. "Estarossa, she looks like she can barely stand; she'll be a distraction to you." Zeldris spoke; I brought my eyes up to meet Estarossa's, who was looking down at me, expression unreadable.

"She's human, they always look weak." Estarossa spoke; his gaze lingered on me before turning to face the other demon again.

"Not like that. She won't make it down from here, not by the time we're finished with the sins." Who knew that my saving grace would come in the form of another demon? Not to mention my half-assed acting skills.

"Fine," I watched Estarossa shrug, but I couldn't see his expression. I kept my gaze down and for once, kept my mouth shut. I couldn't risk ruining the opportunity to escape. Estarossa turned to me. I expected him to grab my neck or hair, threaten me, maybe even hurt me so I couldn't escape, but he did none of that. He looked more amused than anything else. "Try not to fall over the edge. I won't be here to save you again." It took every ounce of my being not to roll my eyes at the risk of aggravating him. "Although, if you do manage to get down in one piece, I hope you make it out of the vicinity. Hunting you down will, at the least, entertain me for a bit." I bit my tongue so hard that I tasted blood in my mouth.

I waited a second before taking my eyes off the ground in front of me. They were already gone. Not that I really cared where Estarossa and Zeldris disappeared to, but the fear and pain of the last 48 hours had my guard up.

Minutes passed, and no one else showed up. At least up here, I was alone. I looked over the cliffside again. No one below me either. Cautiously, I stepped forward towards where the cliff jutted out from the main rock. Leaning over, it was a long, steep way down. The rocks looked sharp, and I was definitely going to be crawling on my hands and knees to get down this thing.

But the chance to escape, was too precious not to take. Stepping forward again before sitting down on the edge, legs dangling over, I carefully scooted my body down the side. I was vigilant to make sure that the rocks didn't cut my skin and leave a trail to follow. I had no idea where I was or where I was going to go, but anywhere was better than here.


	6. Chapter 6

I should probably warn people that spoilers past season 3 are going to start occurring.

Chapter 6

My arms were shaking once I reached the bottom, but I couldn't stop moving yet. Scanning the place quickly, I took in as much of the surrounding area as I could. Who knows maybe it would be useful one day? I was surprised to find out that the land mass that I had just scaled down was what looked to be an old castle. Had the demons destroyed it? What else could possibly have that kind of power? I glanced back at it one more time before turning around and looking ahead.

The sun was still in the sky, but it would set in a few hours. Hopefully that was enough time to get some cover before dark. After all, there were other monsters in the world besides Estarossa that I had to worry about.

Pushing (h/l), (h/c) strands out of my eyes, I set off at a brisk jog. A full out run would tire me out quickly, and I was too jittery just to walk. It was unfortunate to find out that most of the land around here was flat. I guess it gave the demons a good vantage point to see if anyone was coming, but it kind of sucked for my situation. Just on the horizon, I could see what looked like a hazy line that might have been tree cover. It was the best chance I had, hopefully it wasn't as far as it looked.

I didn't know how much time I had; it could be as little as minutes before Estarossa's return. Or maybe if I was extremely lucky, whatever force required all the commandments to be there was hopefully strong enough to wipe them all out, and then I really was free of Estarossa. I grimaced at the fleeting thought. I had never been that lucky before in my life, why would fate help me now? I felt my legs pick up the pace, my nerves getting the best of me.

* * *

I don't know how long I'd been running for, but to my excitement what I had hoped would be trees turned out to be a massive forest. I stumbled forward and caught myself against a tree trunk. Gasping for air, my lungs hurt as I drew in a ragged breath. My legs, which had gone numb after so much running, burned like fire when I stopped. Obviously, cardio was not my forte.

The sun rested against the horizon, turning the sky into a pattern of brilliant golds and oranges, but I was too exhausted and tense to enjoy it. I didn't have much daylight left. I pushed off the tree and forced myself to walk further into the forest. There wasn't much underbrush, so the ground was easy to navigate. The treetops stretched far above my head, letting only scraps of light through.

"Nothing good ever comes of creepy, dark forests," I muttered, as I navigated around some large tree roots that stuck high enough out of the ground to block my path. Only to step in something wet. "Great," I sighed looking down.

A small stream ran in front of me, the water trickling around my shoe barely made a sound, so no wonder I had missed it. It couldn't have been more a few inches deep, the water running to my right off into the distance.

 _Where there's water, there would eventually be people_ , I thought. Sure, I had almost nothing to base my logic on, but it was worth a shot. I walked alongside the stream, scanning the surrounding area for any threats. Another thought popped into my head, then I stepped completely into the stream, letting the water run around my boots, washing any scent away. At least this would keep the animals and monsters of the forest from stalking me. And if demons had a sense of smell strong enough to track me, well, then that was just an added bonus.

* * *

I carried on like that for a while. I kept my pace brisk, but a steady ach was starting to settle in my muscles. The sun had set a while ago, and this deep in the forest, very little moonlight made it through the trees. The air became chilly, and I was still stuck in my barmaid's outfit. At least the pants and boots provided some protection.

I stretched my arms above my head and moved them around, trying to work some circulation into them. I probably wouldn't freeze to death tonight, but it was still uncomfortable.

 _If I had stayed, I would be in an even worse predicament,_ I reasoned with myself. Something told me Estarossa wasn't the type of person to loan me his coat. I continued stretching out my arms as I walked, and slowly, the numbness that threatened my fingertips faded. My boots splashed carelessly in the water. The small stream had been steadily getting larger the further I followed it. The water now reached up to my ankles, but my leather boots were thick and waterproof, so it didn't bother me.

Then I heard a branch crack as something stepped on it.

"How stereotypical can this day get?" I sighed. Stopping for a moment, I listened closely, but the only sound I could here was the water babbling around me. I looked from side to side for any obvious threats, but I couldn't see much in the dark. Just the faint outline of dozens of trees towering around me.

Cautiously, I stepped forward, but when nothing jumped out at me, I resumed my normal pace. I kept my guard up, scanning the forest to the best of my ability, listening intently.

"It's almost impressive that you made it this far," A female voice spoke behind me. Granted, this wasn't exactly what I was expecting. "We weren't gone that long, and yet you managed to disappear." I turned to face the speaker. All my muscles were tense, my jaw clenched, and I was reminded of the feeling when I first met Estarossa.

I met the eyes of the person that stood before me. Black like Estarossa's but the similarity ended there. She was thin and looked like she'd taken a good beating not too long ago. What was left of her clothes barely covered her petite frame, and her lavender hair was a tangled mess.

"Have I met you before?" I asked, warry of her stepping forward to close the distance between us. I stepped back as she stepped forward, careful to brace my stance if she lunged at me. I noted that her feet were bare, but the chill of the water didn't seem to bother her.

"Not really," she replied, her voice was high pitched, almost like a child's. "Estarossa has been very possessive of you. I only saw you once when he brought you back." I wasn't sure why she was bothering to explain everything to me. I had lived through it once already. "I'm Melascula of Faith, but I never learned your name," she spoke.

"Yeah, well neither did he," I remembered, a smug smile on my face. Despite everything I'd been through, it gave me some weird pleasure to know that I had kept my name a secret from all the demons. "Now, are you planning to drag me back there or just talk, cause I really have somewhere to be," I continued.

"I won't give you up to Estarossa," a twisted smile on her face, "He took away my chance to regain power earlier, so now I think I'll take something of his." She lunged toward me, but for once I was ready.

I dove to the right, landing on my side, before flipping around to find her. Without a second's hesitation, she leaped at me again. I rolled to my left, then jumped to my feet taking off in a sprint. My muscles screamed in protest, but my will to live was stronger.

I felt fingers brush the back of my shirt, so I threw myself around a corner, grabbing a onto a tree to help maintain my balance. Melascula slid several feet passed me, but the small advantage I had gained, was gone in a second. She dove towards me again, faster than I had expected and caught me around my stomach, knocking the air out of my lungs and sending us both to the ground.

I reached out and grabbed the first thing I could get my hand around, then brought it crashing against Melascula's skull as hard as I could.

"You bitch!" She screamed at me as I tried to drag myself away from her. I threw the rock at her, aiming for her face, but she knocked it away. Melascula lunged again, her hands coming down on my shoulders, knocking the back of my head against the ground. Her face blurred above me, as I kicked and punched wildly at her.

Melascula moved her hands to my throat, her expression was savage as she squeezed. "I'm going to enjoy every second of eating your soul; and killing Estarossa's pet is just like icing on top." She laughed manically. My fingers tore at her hands, trying to pry them away, but what they never talk about is how the lack of oxygen makes you weak. I felt myself choking, my lungs desperate for air that couldn't be reached. My eyes went wide with fear, tears burned at the corners of my eyes, and my mouth opened to scream but I couldn't.

Melascula removed one hand from my throat and placed her fingers softly on my abdomen. A second later I had that gut-wrenching feeling from before. When Estarossa had first threatened to take my soul. I felt the pressure rise up through my chest, and I desperately flailed my arms and legs trying to through her off. But it was too late, with one hand still squeezing my throat, Melascula used her knees to pin my legs in place, thus holding me still. So, this is it? I clenched my eyes shut.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A sharp scream above me rattled my ears. Something hot and wet soaked the front of my shirt, and Melascula's grip on my throat loosened before I felt her weight lifted off my body completely. I rolled on my side, coughing and gagging as I tried to breathe. The air was sharp against my throat, my own hands gently wrapping around it to protect myself.

The black dots that floated in front of me steadily disappeared as my vision returned. A few yards away was Melascula huddled on the ground, her arms wrapped around her chest as she screamed profanities.

An arm wrapped around my shoulders bringing me into a sitting position before pulling me against a hard-muscled chest. I tried to look up at whoever was holding me, but my neck was too painful to move. Still gasping for breath, I felt tears run freely down my cheeks, as I tried to push the unknown person away. My attempts were pitiful at best, my fingers curling in the thick fabric, more pulling the person closer rather than pushing them away.

"Melascula, you should be careful. With only one heart left, anyone could kill you now." A sick sense of dread filled my body as I realized it was Estarossa I was clinging to. I'd know his voice anywhere at this point. Probably hear it in my nightmares for the rest of my life.

"Estarossa you're practically a traitor. You'd kill your own kind over some weakling human!" Melascula spat back at him.

"Only those that try to steal from me," Estarossa clarified, his voice lacking any remorse. I tried to angle my head to face Melascula, but it was quite difficult with Estarossa holding me tightly in place. I could barely make out the small demon's face as she scowled at me, blood dripping from her chest where a blade had been thrust through. "and I want my knife back," Estarossa added. I briefly saw the knife dislodge itself from Melascula's back, causing the girl to shriek before the knife flew back to Estarossa's hand. Seeing the ragged, uneven edge of the blade up close, I knew it was to create more pain than to actually kill.

I saw the knife disappear before my eyes, then Estarossa's other arm slipped under my knees as he lifted me off the ground. I might have squeaked in protest, but my throat was still raw, and I didn't have the energy to push him away.

Finally, Estarossa looked down at me. His black eyes met my (e/c) ones, but his expression was unreadable. My best guess was extremely pissed off. "You're a mess," he muttered. I felt fresh tears prick the corners of my eyes, and I looked away from him.

Estarossa's muscles tensed, drawing me closer to him, before I felt a rush of wind graze my bare skin as we launched into the sky. I buried my face in his chest, trying to block out the cold. I was never getting out of this mess, not alive at least.

* * *

My sleep was dreamless. No demons haunted me, no fields or storms plagued my mind with unanswered questions. It was almost like none of the recent events had ever happened.

Then my eyes opened. High above me was a stone ceiling with wooden rafters stretching the expanse of the room. My eyes followed them across until they hit a wall, and I saw that the walls were also made of stone. A light hung off the wall every few feet to cast the room in a soft yellow glow.

On my right, the wall was lined with small windows, no doubt designed that way to keep out the cold; but, it was still dark, so no light leaked in. across from me was a large set of wooden double doors that stretched almost to the ceiling. But the most amazing discovery was that I wasn't sleeping on a cold, stone floor, but in a large bed, with heavy blankets piled on top of me.

I looked up again, to see an elegant and elaborate headboard against the wall behind me. My neck hurt with the small movement, and I carefully lowered my gaze and centered my spine. It hurt to swallow. When I ran my fingers against the sides of my trachea, I could feel the uneven welts that were no doubt in the shape of purple rings around my neck. Like a hand. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself not to cry again over my near-death experience. After all, I was possibly in even worse danger than I had been before.

Carefully, I turned on my side, drawing the covers up to my chin, enjoying the softness and the warmth. Then I saw Estarossa, sitting in an armchair across from me, and all the warmth left my body and was replaced with fear.

This was the first time I'd seen him with out his armor. He still wore the navy long coat that stretched across his broad chest; but the silver gauntlets from his arms were gone, and the silver boots had been replaced with plain black leather ones. His arms were crossed over his chest and he lazily eyed me staring at him.

My throat was still too sore to speak, not that I really had anything to say other than to maybe beg for my life. However, Estarossa spoke first, "I'm trying to decide what to do with you," he started; I shrank even deeper into the covers. "Zeldris thinks I should kill you and be done with you; but you've caused so much trouble that that just doesn't seem like enough punishment to me."

I blinked back at him speechless. I was hesitant to use my voice.

"Do you think that I should kill you?" his words were soft, but the smirk on his lips was cruel.

I shook my head, the sudden movement was painful, but not as bad as before.

He gave me a small grin, before getting up and walking towards me. "I don't really want to kill you," Estarossa pulled the covers down to expose my neck, his fingers ghosting across the bruises, his expression thoughtful. "Perhaps Melascula's attack was enough for now," his hand wrapped around the back of my neck, his fingers tangled in my hair, while his thumb ran up and down the front of my throat. The threat was obvious: he didn't need both hands to snap my neck. Heck, it probably wouldn't take him much effort at all.

His hand pulled away, and I blew out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding in. He laughed before moving his fingers to my chin and forcing me to look up at him. "You can still talk right?" I glared up at him, "A broken toy isn't fun to play with. Even if you are disobedient, I don't want any permanent harm to come to you yet."

"Screw you," I spat. The words were raw on my throat, but they were audible.

He laughed again before turning to sit in the chair again. Legs stretched out as he leaned back with his hands behind his head, and black eyes on me as I pulled the covers up over my neck again. "It's been a lousy day, so a little bit of banter might cheer me up."

I gave him one last glare before turning over to face the opposite direction, only to find a mirror on the other side, Estarossa's reflection staring back at me. I groaned and rolled on my back, staring up at the rafters.

"Shouldn't you be more thankful to your savior? If it wasn't for me, Melascula would be bloated with your own power by now."

I continued to stare up at the rafters, my eyes tracing the wood grain patterns. "If I had to guess, I think you actually enjoyed shoving a knife through her back," I muttered.

"She tried to take my brother's soul without my permission. And then someone else beat me to the kill."

"Obviously, she wasn't dead if she came after me." I spoke as I kept my eyes on the ceiling. Why I was even bothering to speak to him was beyond me. Maybe I really couldn't keep my mouth shut. "What happened to your brother?" Judging by the hostile silence that followed, I had hit a nerve.

"I killed him," Estarossa spoke plainly. I could feel his gaze lingering on me, judging my reaction. I suddenly found a copper nail in the rafters extremely interesting.

"What about the person who supposedly killed Melascula?" I asked. I was probably signing my own death sentence with this conversation.

"I killed him too."

I scoffed, "huh, you've been busy."

"Melascula isn't dead yet," Estarossa must have seen me cringe at his words, because he continued in a sadistic tone, "but she won't be a problem anymore. The only monster you have to appease is me." I sat up and chucked a pillow at Estarossa as he laughed. I turned to scowl at him, ready to curse him.

I froze when I met his gaze, dark eyes intently on me. The frown on my face slowly turned to a look of confusion as I watched his jaw go slack, expression nearly unreadable.

Then I felt the cool air against the skin of my arms, my neck, my stomach, but most surprisingly, my breasts. I felt my face grow hot, as I glared at Estarossa and wrenched the covers back up to hide myself. "Where are my clothes?" I tried to yell at him, but I guess my voice wasn't up for that yet.

"They were covered in blood and dirt, so I got rid of them." He spoke, as he slowly dragged his gaze up to meet my eyes. I chucked another pillow at him, the strength behind it was less than before, and he caught it easily and set it aside. Stupid commandment.

"You had no right to do that," I yelled, my voice finally getting louder. I looked around for something else to throw, something with a little more weight behind it; but unfortunately, there wasn't much within my reach, so I had to settle for glaring at him.

He smirked at me, holding my gaze as he spoke, "I didn't take them off you, I had Derieri do it." I waited silently for him to continue. " _She_ , also left you new clothes at the end of the bed."

"You could have mentioned that earlier," I spoke through clenched teeth.

"I got distracted." I chucked a third pillow at him. He caught it again before standing up and moving in front of me. I tried to scramble backwards in the bed, but he grabbed my arm that was holding the blankets around me to keep me in place.

I tried to stare him down, but the fear in the back of my mind was too much to handle. "Would you please leave the room so I can get dressed?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Only because you asked so nicely." He released my arm, turned and walk towards the door. Not fast enough in my opinion. It felt like ages before the door closed behind him.

I reached for the clothes at the end of the bed. Tight black pants, a matching black top, and black undergarments. Geez, how creative. I was pleased to find out that the pants allowed for much more movement than I had expected. I was not thrilled about the black top that exposed most of my abdomen. Not to mention that it had a deep V-neck that exposed a good amount of my breasts. I blushed again, maybe there was a jacket somewhere that I could use to cover myself.

Looking in the mirror, I was surprised to see that I wasn't as much of a hot mess as I felt. My hair was surprisingly clean and tied back and my face was free of dirt. The purple rings around my neck were ugly, but they'd heal eventually. Despite my original protest of the outfit, I looked good. In fact, it really wasn't much different from the outfits I wore to work.

I untied my hair and ran my fingers through it a could of times, letting the (h/c) strands fall into place. Lastly, I pulled on my boots, lacing them up to the top with well-practiced movements. I turned around, examining the room again. I walked over to the windows gazing down at the ground below. I must have been at least on the third floor, judging by the height, and the ground was littered with sharp rocks.

I turned again, this time to inspect the door only to scream as I found Estarossa leaning against it.

"I didn't say you could come back in here!" I yelled; I sounded more defensive than accusative.

"You don't need to, we're leaving anyways." He walked towards me. I glanced side to side, realizing how much of an idiot I am as he cornered me against the wall. "We're going to overtake Liones; but this time you'll be by my side for every second of it."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I'd never been to Liones before. I preferred small towns. The ones where your neighbors were like family and a stranger stood out like a sore thumb. It was safer that way for a young woman living on her own. Even with the temptation of the fighting festivals, with all the money they brought into the bars as men drank themselves to death, I stayed clear.

Except now I didn't have a choice.

Estarossa landed on the wall that lined the city perimeter. Supposedly, the rest of the ten commandments were spread out around the city, in a sense, surrounding the place. Estarossa put me down, and I stumbled briefly, struggling to regain my balance. I'd never get used to flying; heck, I didn't want to get used to it.

In the center of the city, a castle stood tall, towering above the commoners' homes and the markets. It looked like it was still under reconstruction from the last attack. No doubt, that place was the goal, but between us and the castle were miles of homes, and innocent bystanders. An explosion to the right threatened to knock me off the wall. Demons on the outside would break through eventually, I could see knights rallying to fight them off.

A hand on the back of my neck, fingers rubbing the bruises almost delicately. "You know the rules," I shivered as Estarossa's lips brushed the shell of my ear and he laughed. "Make this fun for me." Before I could reply, he grabbed me roughly around the waist, pulled me close, and jumped off the wall. I tried to scream, but my voice was lost in the wind. We landed softer than I expected, then I saw his black wings spread out, slowing our decent.

"You jerk," I weakly pounded his chest with my fists, losing strength by the second.

"Surely you can do better than that," He teased, releasing me from his grasp. I stumbled a few steps backwards away from him, my arms going out wide to balance myself.

Several people gathered around us, most of them already quivering in fear at the sight of Estarossa.

"You there, halt! Drop your weapons!" I turned to see a group of Holy Knights come around the corner, swords and shields raised. They were young, and I felt remorse for what was about to happen to them.

"It's the welcoming committee," Estarossa stepped forward next to me, "think their excited to see us?" I ignored the jibe. Unfortunately for me, I was about to be found guilty by association.

"I said drop your weapons!" The leader spoke again. My gaze met his blue eyes. He wore a grim but determined expression on his face. "I sa-" and that was the last thing he said. Within seconds I watched darkness tear through the Holy Knights, everyone in the surrounding area scattered.

I didn't so much as flinch; I was frozen in place. The awful memories of my own town being torn to pieces came flooding back to me. Except now I was a part of it. I watched as Estarossa attacked again. This time at the bystanders, innocent people that probably would have just surrendered if told to.

"You're not screaming," Estarossa spoke beside me.

"I'm speechless," I retorted as I looked up at him.

"That would be a first." The darkness that wrapped around his arm reached out again, this time wiping out shops and homes and who knows how many people inside. By the time the dust settled, the area around us was flattened.

"You didn't need to do that," I muttered, looking at the rubble in distain.

"No, but I wanted to," Estarossa grinned at me; I did my best not to look up at him.

A blast to our left took us by surprise. The force of the blow sent me flying, stumbling I caught myself on my hands and knees. When the dust cleared, I saw more knights approaching Estarossa, who now stood by himself in the middle of the clearing. I don't think the attack phased him a bit. The knights continued to advance, whoever had sent the blast earlier was obviously now feeling the effects of Estarossa's commandment.

"My strength, what's wrong with me?" I heard one of the knights yell, the others all said something similar, but my eyes were focused on Estarossa as he pulled out one of his knives. Great, as if this wasn't messy enough already.

I felt a hand tug on my arm, "we need to go now!" A voice whispered in my ear, and I felt the person tug at my arm again. I thought it was a trick, but no, it was probably just a stranger mistaking me for another citizen. My steps were rigid at first, then I turned, and followed the others into the winding streets. _This is a terrible idea;_ I pushed the thought out of my mind. Of course, it was awful, but I couldn't give up the chance to escape.

I followed some people through the streets, around corners, ducking under collapsed buildings. Apparently, the rest of the ten commandments were also at work destroying the city. A building in front of me started to crumble, the walls falling down piece by piece. I slid on my heels to keep from being crushed by the falling debris. "Shit," I hissed under my breath as I glanced from side to side, looking for a new escape route.

To my right was a narrow alley, one building had collapsed against another but both still stood. Behind me I heard more screaming, but I wasn't sure which commandment was the cause of it. I bolted down the alley, turning sideways to wedge myself through the narrow passage. Coming out on the other side, I entered a wide room. The tables and chairs were overturned, glasses shattered on the floor, a bar stood at the far side. Wine bottles and kegs had been knocked over, turning the floor into a sticky mess.

"Oh, how fitting," I muttered, as I rolled my eyes. I stepped towards the bar, kicking glass and other trash out of my way, and hopped the counter, barely missing the people crouched behind it. "Shit," I muttered again, as I joined them hiding in the mess.

There weren't many people back here. A couple of men, not fighters by the looks of it. No women or children at least.

"What's the quickest way out of here?" I whispered to the one closest to me.

"The back wall collapsed earlier. That had the emergency exit. A minute before you snuck in two of those wretched demons walked past. Literally turning everyone who ran from them into mindless slaves. They've got our own people rounding up Holy Knights." I didn't know which commandments those were based on the man's description.

I peeked over the bar, searching for a way out. I could always go back through the crevice I had used to get in here, but I already knew that on the other side was another dead end. A window half blocked by a pile of debris was on my right, just big enough for me to squeeze through. Except, I would need a boost.

"Lift me up so I can get through there," I pointed at the window, quickly walking over and placing my hands on the window seal which was at my eye level.

"Why would I help you?" The first man complained, staying put in his hiding spot. The man beside him got up, moving to stand by my side. He was probably about my age, maybe a year or two older.

"Because I'm not going to sit here and get my ass blown to pieces," I hissed back at the other man.

"I'll help if you take me with you," he spoke softly, kneeling to give me a boost.

Then the ceiling was torn off the building. The blast knocked the two of us on the ground, I landed on top of him, his arms wrapped around me as he tried to brace my fall. Sunlight filtered in, blinding me for a second before my eyes adjusted to the light.

"Sorry she's with me," a hand grabbed my upper arm and dragged me up, pulling me flush against Estarossa. His right arm wrapped around my waist, preventing my escape. To my horror I watched as Estarossa sent a knife through the young man's neck, his life bleeding out before my eyes.

"You didn't need to do that," I hissed, slamming my fist against Estarossa's chest. I watched as two more knives flew through the air, finishing off the other men without so much of a glance from Estarossa.

"You didn't need to cozy up with him," Estarossa glared down at me, his grip tightened around my waist.

"It's your own fault for blowing up the place," I retaliated. He was so close that I had to strain my neck to look up at him. He gave a slow smirk, before turning to face the empty street before us. It must have been on the other side of the building, because it looked different from the road that I had ran down earlier.

"I was hoping that you'd make this more of a challenge for me. Want to go round two?" Estarossa asked as he shoved me forward a few steps, daring me to run from him.

"You don't exactly make things fair," I spoke, not moving an inch from where I stood.

Estarossa stepped forward, gripped my chin, letting the darkness run over my skin, causing pain everywhere it touched. I pulled away from his hold, and backed up a few steps, panting as the last bits of his magic wore off. "Now, run. Or next time it'll be worse." He threatened.

I bit my bottom lip and forced my fists to unclench before taking off in the opposite direction. _Stupid, sadistic bastard_ , I thought as I ran, taking a left and then following a main road towards the city center. Estarossa had told me about his idea of a game before we left for Liones, and here I was, complying because I was too scared to die.

I kept running up the street. People swarmed around me in every direction. Children cried out for their parents and vice versa. Buildings continued to topple over, although I'm sure at this point it wasn't just the demons causing chaos. Large cities like Liones were full of thieves and opportunistic villains who'd love to take advantage of a situation like this.

I turned right and took another quick left; ducking to the side as a group of Holy Knights ran past, bravely, and naively, running to their death. The closer I got to the city center the more knights I passed. For a second, I wondered if I would come across a barricade blocking off the main access to the castle. It made sense. Hopefully, the king and royal family weren't hiding in the castle like sitting ducks.

"You there, stop!" A man yelled; it took me a second to realize that he was yelling at me. Too late, I barreled face first into a man who purposely stepped in front of me. Someone else grabbed my arms from behind, tying my wrists together behind my back. Then I felt a quick kick to the back of my knees, forcing me to fall to the ground.

"What the fuck was that for?" I yelled, genuinely ticked off.

"What's your name?" The man in front of me asked. He was probably in his thirties, but nothing remarkable stood out about him. I pressed my lips together, refusing to answer the question.

"She was seen earlier on the outskirts of the city with one of the commandments. They appeared to be fairly familiar with one another." I heard the man behind me speak; I rolled my eyes.

"Care to explain yourself?" The man who stood in front of me asked as he knelt to hold my gaze. I stared back at him, refusing to speak. Partly because my own stubbornness was taking over, I was tired of getting pushed around by everyone. The other part, because I really didn't know how to explain myself. Not to mention that within a few minutes or so, I wouldn't have to.

My estimate was proven to be wrong, as a knife lodged itself in a man's chest. He wasn't the man that had been threatening me, he was one of the perimeter guards, maybe a look out. _So much for that_ , I thought. _Great, now Estarossa's sense of humor was rubbing off on me_. I grimaced at the thought. I didn't want to have anything in common with the monster.

I was still kneeling on the ground, hands tied behind me, but I could see the terror on the knight's faces as they stared at someone behind me. One by one I watched their weapons drop, the metal clamoring against the stone streets, useless.

"What's wrong with me?" I heard one start; I mentally blocked out the rest of their worries and concerns, and then their screams. Estarossa wasn't leaving anyone alive.

I waited for the screams to stop. I had sat back on my heels waiting patiently, because there was nothing else I could do. In front of me, past the dead guards the ground had been build up several stories, and on top sat Liones Castle. We had reached the center of the city.

I watched the ground as a shadow was cast over me, "You would think that as the commandment of benevolence you could be a little more merciful," I commented.

"I saved you, didn't I?"

"Hardly," I scoffed at him, before craning my neck around to look up at him. There were no clouds to block the sun, and the light cast a sardonic halo of light around his head, making me squint up at him. "Can you untie me now," I asked, pulling at the restraints around my wrists.

Estarossa looked down at me thoughtfully, but he didn't move to untie me. The longer he went without speaking, the more aggravated I became. "Please," I added through clenched teeth.

"Fine," He knelt behind me, and slowly untied the restraints. "But next time it's going to take more than sweet words if you want something from me." His fingers brushed the inside of my wrists as the restraints came loose, and I felt my face grow hot again. I pulled away from him and stood up, brushing the dust off my pants, hiding my face from him.

A few streets over, I watched as a massive fire consumed several buildings and who knows how many people at once. I guess the rest of the commandments had reached the center as well.

"Ready to go up?" Any reply I would have said was lost in the wind as Estarossa grabbed me and shot up to the base of the castle. Unsurprisingly, another group of Holy Knights were waiting for us. I didn't see the other demons, but I knew they had to be close, waiting for Estarossa to weaken everyone before moving in.

Like before, I watched as the knights dropped to their knees, weapons useless at their sides. One looked up at me, confusion written on his face, as he tried to figure out why I would side with a demon. His stare made me nervous, as if I was forgetting something. "(Y/n)?"

I paled as he spoke my name. How could this stranger know me?

"(Y/n)!" He shouted louder to my dismay. He had dirty blonde hair and purple eyes, and he was fairly attractive. Surely, if I had ever seen him before I'd remember. "(Y/n), what are you doing?!" He continued to shout at me.

Deftly, I tried to push away from Estarossa, but his grip tightened, keeping me pressed up against his side. "You didn't tell me you had friends in Liones, (Y/n)," Estarossa spoke; I hated the way my name sounded on his lips. It was a taunt, a threat, and a caress all wrapped up into one word.

"I, I don't know them, I swear," I stuttered, my words were rushed and breathless. The palms of my hands pressed against Estarossa's chest again, a feeble attempt at escape.

"Who are these people to you?" Estarossa spoke again, his words more lethal this time.

"No one! I swear, I've never even been to Liones before," My voice got higher, desperately trying to convince him.

"Good, because I'm about to eviscerate them," Estarossa spoke directly to me. Any hint of his normal laid-back self was gone, as if this had suddenly become personal. He finally released his grip around my waist as he moved to step in front of me, blocking my view of the Holy Knights.

All the Holy Knights' attention returned to Estarossa, "I am the commandment of benevolence. All those that stand before me with hatred in their hearts will lose their ability to hurt others." Slowly, I stepped away, getting myself out of range.

"That's the demon who murdered the captain," I heard someone shout. He was tall and dressed in red; I didn't bother paying them anymore attention. Slowly, I creeped further towards the wall of the castle. Then someone else walked up to Estarossa.

The heat, or power pouring off this new person was unbelievable. I could barely keep my eyes open to watch. I couldn't hear their conversation; I was too far away at this point. I watched as Estarossa struck first, catching the other man off guard, before attacking again, sending the man flying.

Someone jumped on my back, pressing my face into the ground, and wrenched my arms behind my back, before putting cuffs on them. "Again?" I muttered, the weight lifted from my back and the person dragged me to my feet.

"You're under arrest for treason against the Kingdom of Liones," A voice spoke behind me, then shoved me in the direction of the other humans. I couldn't see the fight from this angle; besides, now I had this to deal with.

"Gil, I don't think you needed to be that ruff, she's human, what the heck is she going to do?" The one who had spilled the secret about my name spoke. He stood in front of me, it must have been his friend who had me hand cuffed.

"She's obviously working with the demon race."

"Hardly," I muttered, but they ignored me.

The blonde man looked at me with what might have been guilt on his face, but I didn't know why. I'd never seen him before in my life.

"Just lock her up for now. Maybe we can ask some questions later, but we've got the city to protect first." It was the tall man dressed in red who spoke. I don't think the Gil person behind me was happy about the suggestion, but he obviously respected this man enough to listen to him.

A shove from behind, pushed me into a new guard, who took hold of me and walked me into the castle. I couldn't see what had become of the fight, but if Estarossa won, I'm sure I'd see him again. The new guard walked me down the hall and then several flights of stairs, no doubt into the dungeon.

The guard pushed me into a cell, unfastened the cuffs, and slammed the door on his way out without a word. I looked around at my newest confines. Stone floors, stone walls, and stone ceiling. I turned full circle, taking everything in. The door appeared to be wooden, but it was reinforced with metal. A small window sat at eye level in the door with vertical and horizontal bars across it. A dim light hung by the door. A bed with a thin mattress stood across from me, other than that the room was bare. I sighed, rubbing my fingers against my neck, the bruises were still sore. I may have actually managed to get myself into an even worse situation. Just my luck.

* * *

I really didn't feel like rewriting the whole scene, so I kept it short. I think we all know what happens anyways. Please review, I always appreciate the feedback. It also tends to make me write faster (wink, wink).


	9. Chapter 9

In regards to a comment left by a guest on chapter 8, due to the strict first person point of view of this story, I can only add so much information at a time. Since it's first person, the OC only knows about what has happened to her. I'd estimate that this chapter 9 is about right at the end of season 2 of the anime, but I will go past that point (so beware there will be spoilers). In time, your question on how this OC ties into the main story will be answered.

* * *

Chapter 9

With no way to measure time, I don't know how long I sat in the cell. I sat on the bed, back to the wall with my knees drawn up. I could hear the muffled sounds of war as the battle continued high above me. All I could do was think.

Which made everything worse.

If Estarossa didn't win, how was I supposed to get out of here on my own? Funny, how now I depended on him to get me out of this mess. I was smart. I knew how to improvise; I just had to get in the right mindset.

I stood and walked over to the door, standing on tip toes to see through the window. I knew that the hallway had dim lights that matched the one in my cell, and I knew the route that the guards had escorted me down. But I didn't know their posts or their change of shift. Maybe it would be better to wait? If they were just going to question me, then they might let me go.

With how my luck has been, I don't think I'd get off that easy. I sighed, kicked the door in frustration, and walked back to the bed to sit down.

"Is someone there?" I heard a voice to my left, but when I turned all I saw was the stone wall. The voice could have been male or female, without more information, I couldn't tell.

I waited a second, weighing my options, figured I didn't have anything better to do than to entertain this new voice. "Yes, someone's here," I answered.

"Are you locked up too? What's your name?" The voice asked.

I hesitated before answering, "(Y/n), and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." I spoke.

"I guess I'd say the same."

I rolled my eyes, "Why are you locked up here?" I asked.

"They think I'm one of the 10 commandments," the voice spoke like the weight of his words held nothing. I pressed my lips together, tentative to carry on this conversation.

"Are you one of the commandments?" I asked. As the words left my mouth, I doubted this person could be. If they were, they would have busted out of here by now. Especially, with the battle going on up above.

"I'm one of the Seven Deadly Sins," The voice answered; that got my attention. "I'm Growther, the Goat Sin of Lust." I waited to see if he would feed me more information. He did not.

"So why would you agreed to let them lock you up?" I asked, trying to piece things together, but I was only making myself more confused. I hadn't seen all the commandments when Estarossa held me captive. Actually, I think the only ones I saw other than Estarossa were Zeldris and Melascula.

"They were worried about where my loyalty lay. Someone said I was a commandment, I don't know who, but it led to me being locked up here. For everyone's safety." I scoffed at the last remark. Everyone's safety, as the commandments were currently wreaking havoc up above.

"I don't think you're one of the commandments," I found myself saying.

"Why not?"

"Because you're much more pleasant to talk too," I answered, biting my lip as I realized I might have said too much.

"Are you one of the commandments?" Growther asked.

"Hardly," I scoffed back at him. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Resting my face on the tops of my knees, I looked to the right, away from Growther's cell.

"But you know them?" He asked again.

"Kind of," I answered.

"How can you kind of know someone?" He asked. I closed my eyes shut, trying to block out the most horrific days of my life.

"Over the last few days, I've been kidnapped, tortured, used, and almost murdered. On multiple occasions. So, when I say I 'kind of' know the commandments, I mean that is the only way I know them. That they're cruel, sadistic, and just plain evil." I finished my rant, not waiting for a reply. Honestly, I didn't really care if Growther did have anything to say to that, it just felt good to finally vent, and not get punished for it.

"That sounds like an interesting time," he commented. I had half the mind to break out of this cell just to slap him. An 'interesting' time, yeah, that's what it had been. I refused to respond to him, for once enjoying the silence of the cells. At least here I was somewhat safe.

* * *

The battle had ended two days ago. The knights of Liones must have managed to fend off the commandments attack, because I was still stuck down here. Three times a day someone came down with food for me. At first, they shoved the tray of food through the window in case I tried to escape. When they realized that I didn't seem to have an interest in that, they would open the door to bring in the food. I picked at the meals, rarely finishing them. Despite not eating for so long, I found that I had little appetite.

When a group of guards came down with a new prisoner, I often found myself looking out the small window, trying to figure out who it might be. It didn't look like they had captured any of the commandments. Which meant that they had either retreated or that they were dead. _Estarossa dead_ , the thought sounded weird, and it made my stomach twist.

Sometimes Growther and I would talk. Just about random things, nothing important. He asked where I was from, about my life, about working in a bar. I guess his friends ran a bar called the Boar's Hat. I'd never heard of that place before. Most of the questions I'd ask him were answered vaguely. I didn't mind, it's not like we were going to be best friends or anything. We were both just lonely.

* * *

"Your presence is expected in the main hall," The voice was loud and obviously male. I opened my eyes, blinked several times, and looked up. I had no what time of day it was, but it must have been early morning, because I had been fast asleep.

"What?" I muttered; my tongue felt alien in my mouth; sleep's hold was still wearing off.

"Get up, you're to be interrogated by the King of Liones himself." I felt a hand on my shoulder, ready to pull me up, but I shoved it off and got up on my own. I was tired of being dragged around by whoever felt like it.

"What time is it?" I yawned.

"8 am." The guard answered. Okay so it wasn't too early. What could I say, I worked bartending hours. I normally would be asleep at this time.

The guard placed shackles on my wrists and marched me out of the cell and up the many flights of stairs. If I did this a couple more times, I'd really start building some muscle.

The sunlight blinded me as I reached the top. It streamed in from several windows and a glass ceiling. The colors of the stained glass painted swirling patterns on the floor and walls. If I wasn't a prisoner, I'd probably be fascinated by the beauty.

The guard marched me into what must have been the main hall. Inside I saw several people: the blonde knight who had given me up, his friend, Gil, I think was his name, and several others who I didn't recognize. In the center of the room, was a large chair, no doubt a throne, where an older man sat. He must have been the king.

I took everything in as quick as I could. Guards were posted at the doors, next to the king, and beside me. I already knew the castle itself was elevated above the city, so even if I managed to escape this place, I'd be stranded once I got outside. Guess I had no choice but to cooperate. I waited patiently, lowering my gaze to the marbled floor in front of me, waiting for someone to speak.

"I must apologize for having the hearing proceed under these circumstances. Normally we would have the leader of the Holy Knights conduct the questioning, but we are currently without one. So, I will take his place this time." The King's words seemed kind enough, but I really had no idea what the difference was, or why they would be without one. Then I remembered some of the previous issues Liones had been in. Now things made a little more sense.

I briefly looked up to meet the king's gaze but didn't say anything. Being the center of attention and completely defenseless surprisingly humbled me.

"We are gathered here to ask you questions regarding your involvement with the ten commandments. With your cooperation, we will use the information to decide the proceeding steps." Oh, this guy was smart to keep his words vague, but I knew enough that what he really meant was, 'tell us everything and maybe we'll decide that you're not guilty.' Again, I waited for the king to speak.

"What is your name," He asked; although I was sure he already knew it thanks to blabber mouth over in the corner.

"(Y/n)," I answered.

"Where are you from?"

"Clarity Springs," I replied, unsure of this line of questioning. Surely, they would have all this information on me by now. I didn't like them bringing up memories of my former home.

A woman to my right caught my attention. She stood close to the king but didn't appear to be a Holy Knight. Gold eyes framed by dark hair met mine, and I automatically hated the way she seemed to see right into my soul. She was unnerving.

"How long did you live there?" The King asked, I almost didn't hear the question, as I turned my eyes back to the king. I could still feel the woman staring at me.

"Um, like two years. I travel around a lot." It was true, it'd lived in plenty of small towns across Britannia. I loved the people I meant, but I could never really find a place to settle down.

"You're young; so, your parents must have been very trusting of you," The king started, obviously expecting me to fill in the blanks.

"They're dead," I stated.

"Recently?"

"No, long time. I never even knew them." I clarified, not enjoying the line of questioning. The king looked kindly at me, but I couldn't discern what he was trying to get at with these questions. I glanced at the woman again, despite her sense of underdress in a very high class setting, I still couldn't figure out what I didn't like about her.

"How'd you grow up then?" My face scrunched up in scrutiny of the question. The king waited patiently for me to answer, but I felt tongue tied for a moment. What did this have to do with my involvement with the commandments? I found myself starting to miss Estarossa's simple policy of 'do as I say or die.'

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts of the demon. "In an orphanage, helping with odd jobs here and there, until I had enough skills and money to support myself." I answered.

"But who cared for you?" The king asked, I was trying really hard not to roll my eyes at him by this point.

"We took care of each other."

The king stared at me for a moment, as if he expected me to break down and tell him my entire life story. Well, that wasn't happening. Not until they started threatening me at least.

"Are you married?" The king asked.

"Do I look married?" I threw back at him, agitation written plainly on my face by now. The guards at my side tightened their grip on the chains that held me, but the king raised his hand signaling for them to back off.

"I must apologize for the intrusive questioning of your person life, (Y/n). But I am trying to understand why a person such as yourself would collaborate with the demons. A lack of care and love throughout your life would certainly lead to-"

"You think I helped them because they were nice to me?" I interrupted; the guards grabbed my shoulders on either side, preventing me from moving, but I continued to speak. "Fuck that! The only reason I was there was for self-preservation. That's your answer. When Estarossa tore through my town and left a bloody mess of the place, I made a deal that would keep myself alive." I answered for them.

The king's expression remained neutral during my outburst. He didn't say anything for a while, maybe I had thrown him off his game, or whatever strategy he had in mind to figure me out.

"She believes what she says is the truth," the woman to the king's right finally spoke. I hadn't seen it earlier, but in her hand, she held what looked like a crystal ball, pale smoke swirling around inside it. "You see, I recently created a spell that would turn the smoke red if you lied to us. It's been cast over this whole room, so no one can lie here. One of the commandments had a similar power that I got the idea from."

I stared blankly at her as if I was supposed to know who that was.

"What deal did you make with the demon Estarossa?" The king asked; I felt my stomach twist again.

"I don't see why that matters now," I answered, watching the orb out of the corner of my eyes. The smoke stayed white.

"What could a mortal human have that would make one of the ten commandments keep her alive, not to mention, drag her across a city during their assault?" The king asked again. I wasn't certain, but I thought I heard a touch of aggravation in his voice.

"I ask myself that same question," I muttered, then bit my lip. The sarcasm was too strong, I was going to get myself in trouble if I wasn't careful.

"(Y/n), if you do not answer the questions, then we cannot feel safe in releasing you. We're asking for your cooperation here." The King explained. He wasn't wrong, I had to admit that. I just never liked people prying into my personal life, or any part of my life really.

"Okay," I started, and took a deep breath, "I made a deal with a demon in order to stay alive. Really that's it. Between that time and now, I've been demeaned, tortured, both physically and mentally, as well as threatened with the possibility of death. Not to mention that time where another demon nearly choked me to death as she tried to eat my soul." I cocked my head to the side to let the crowd see the ring of bruises around my neck. "Everything that has happened to me has been against my will. I never wanted to tear down your city or hurt anyone here. I don't even know anyone here." I finished, and drew in a breath, waiting for a response.

"She's not lying," The woman commented from the side, I watched her lips press together as she tried to figure something else out.

"But I know her!" Oh, for the love of-

"I don't know you," I shouted back at the blonde who had pushed his way to the front of the people standing in the room. We stared at each other, and I genuinely did try to remember anytime that I might have come across this guy, but I really couldn't.

"Just because you know her, doesn't mean she knows you, Howzer." The woman spoke again, her concentration was obviously not on the current conversation though. Her mind was elsewhere, but I was grateful for the defense.

"That doesn't make sense," The blonde, Howzer, spoke again.

"Did you meet me in a bar?" I asked, he nodded silently. I looked up at the king and the rest of the room to make sure everyone was putting two and two together. "I work in a bar. I meet a lot of people, not all of them I remember." I looked back at the blonde who looked crestfallen. Sometimes I flirted with customers to increase revenue. "Sorry," I added weakly. An awkward silence filled the room. I waited for the king to speak, hopefully he had enough information to judge me innocent.

"But-" the blonde began again, too stubborn to know when to quit.

"I suggest we put (y/n) back in her cell for the time being. There are other matters to discuss." It wasn't the King who spoke, but the woman beside him. Howzer looked at the woman defeated. Obviously, what he had to say wasn't going to be heard at this point.

"That seems to be for the best, Merlin." I glared at the lady as the guards hauled me off towards the prison. There wasn't anything else to discuss, she was just buying time, but for what, I didn't know.

Back in the cell, I had too much energy to just sit down on the bed. I paced back and forth, fists clenched at my sides, my mind creating impossible situations for how that hearing could have gone. I thought about how I could have escaped, how I could have been granted freedom and forgiveness for everything that I had been forced through, I thought about Estarossa and-

Bad thought. I stopped my brain there. Pressing my hands against my forehead to clear my mind. Estarossa was the one who'd gotten me into this mess, he was the reason I was in prison, and he certainly wasn't going to have any other part in my life. I sat on the bed; face pressed into the palms of my hands as I waited for their verdict.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _I'm lost._

 _It was the first thought that entered my mind. I'm lost. It was an epiphany that I should have been afraid of; but, whatever fear the thought had once created was gone now, leaving me confused._

 _Everything was black. Unlike the dream before, I wasn't in a hurry, I wasn't racing against time or some unseen force with unknown intentions. I was just lost. And I was more curious about how I'd gotten here, and what lay ahead, than any healthy, normal person would have been._

 _I turned full circle, but everything remained pitch black, and I couldn't tell the ceiling from the floors from the walls. What did hit me though was how cold it was, like icicles growing from my skin cold. The frozen air wasn't drifting in on some breeze, which means that the cold had to be emitted from wherever it was that I am._

 _I took a half-step forward, found solid ground and then slowly inched forward. The earth beneath my boots felt solid like stone, and the light impact of my heel left an echo bouncing off the room. Okay, so there's not much here, I found myself thinking. Another step forward, another echo. I stuck my arms out to either side, trying to find a wall or something to hold on to. My right hand brushed smooth, frozen stone, my fingertips threatened to freeze and stick to the wall if I didn't pull them back quickly._

 _Tucking my hand under my shirt to warm it back up, I bit my cheek to hold back a scream as the cold burn eased from my skin. I stared wildly at where the wall had been, but my eyes must have been playing tricks on me. convincing me that I could see when there was obviously no light source here. There was no way that I could really see the black stone that filled this cavern. There was no possible way that I could see the slick sharpness of the stone where the rock jutted out the wall. There was no light to illuminate my surroundings, so why could I now see a narrow tunnel in front of me, dust floating in the air, an uneven path laid out before me?_

 _I glanced at the stone surrounding me again. And then I saw it, a faint pale glow emitting from the rocks. Lightening the cavern just enough to see. My eyes adjusted to the soft light and whatever fear I had, took a backseat to my curiosity. I found myself stepping forward again, gingerly placing my feet on the ground, creating no noise._

 _What a strange place, I found myself thinking. Again, I tried to recall how I'd gotten here in the first place, but I couldn't remember. I was looking for something, I think. But what could I possibly be looking for in a frozen, obsidian cave?_

 _I walked for miles, or for what felt like miles, at least. There was no way to measure the distance, and the path often went up and down hills, twisted around corners, all with no apparent end. Whatever I was trying to find, certainly wasn't going to be down here._

 _I sighed, the sound echoed against the walls, making it louder than it really was. Maybe there wasn't anything down here. Then how did I get here?_

" _She's reckless, and careless of others she around. Not to mention she has no respect for her superiors. She has no business being apart of any of this," the voice, obviously male and pissed, clamored inside my skull like bells. I felt anger and annoyance, but I didn't know the speaker, didn't know the context of the memory._

" _She just doesn't respect you," A male voice replied, much calmer than the first._

" _Then I'll teach her to respect me."_

 _I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands, pressing hard until I saw stars. When I opened them again there was only the tunnel in front of me. Agitation and annoyance at the voices fueled me to keep going. Why was I angry? I didn't know who either of the voices belonged to, so how could they have such an emotional effect on me? I balled my fists at my side, digging my nails into the skin of my palms and blew out a breath._

 _I'll show them._

 _Show them what? Was I going crazy? I had nothing to show anybody, had no need or desire to prove myself to anyone. So why was I here and who were those voices? The endless questions that circled around in my head were giving me a migraine. The ringing hadn't stopped either. It continued on, dull and low pitched._

 _I stopped just before the path diverged to the left and to the right. They were nearly identical. Same stone walls and floors, same icy air that made my breathe fog every time it passed my lips. I turned right, sticking close to the wall. Occasionally, the sharp rock would brush against my arm or leg, the brief sensation like a frozen knife. I came to another bisect in the hall. As I deliberated on what route to take next, I heard a new voice._

" _What if it doesn't work?" it spoke softly, barely audible. The sound didn't vibrate off the walls, or echo down the passage. At first, I thought it might be another voice in my head, a memory maybe, but unlike the others that had been loud and arguing, this one was quiet, trying to keep a secret._

 _Excitement bloomed inside of me. I felt my heartbeat quicken, my breathing rise, and the corners of my lips turn up in a smile. This is what I was looking for. But what is it? I found myself questioning my own thoughts again and the ringing between my ears grew louder. I didn't even know why I was here, so how was I supposed to know what I was looking for?_

 _The excitement I felt earlier overruled my discretion. I turned the corner, darting down the corridor to the left, moving faster towards the voice. My body moved like liquid as I crossed the ground._

" _It has to work," Another voice replied, this speaker sounded older than the first, but just as quiet. I crept along the wall, biting my lip to keep quiet against the cold that seeped from the stone. I stopped, peered my eyes around another corner, and quickly hid behind the wall. I counted to five before I blew out a breath, before I allowed myself to blink. For a second the only thing I could hear was that god-awful ringing, but I was fairly certain that no one had seen me._

 _I had only seen one other person around the corner. I didn't know if he was facing towards or away from me, because I could only see the silhouette. I hadn't seen the second person, but he must be close if they're able to hold that quiet of a conversation._

" _There are no other options, resources are diminished-" I held my head in my hands, fingers pressing on my temples as the ringing continued to grow. "-our people-" I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth as the ringing continued. This is wrong! This is wrong! This is wrong!_

 _The dim light that emitted from the rocks was suddenly blinding. I found myself on my hands and knees, eyes closed tight. Surely those other people had to be experiencing the same thing, or someone had found me, and this was an attack?_

 _I couldn't hear the others talk and I couldn't feel the frigid air surrounding me. I felt nauseous, and hot, like drenched in sweat hot. Why is this all wrong?_

And then my eyes opened.

Fear now held me frozen in place rather than the cold. I still felt nauseated, and my forehead and back were damp with sweat. I looked desperately around the room. Where am I? How'd I get here? What's going on? Questions flooded my brain, the right side of my head pulsed like the steady beat of a drum.

I'm in prison. And with that one answer, all my questions vanished, my memories came back to me, and the fear slowly slithered away.

I laid on the bed for a few minutes before I finally pushed myself up to a sitting position. My arms and legs were shaky, but I stood and walked a lap around my small room. Moving helped push the fear away, help me regain control of my body and mind.

The dream was vivid in my mind; but, when I tried to think about it, tried to find some explanation for its strangeness, I had no answers. There was only that aching pressure on my skull and a dull ring that still lingered in my ears. Some freaking nightmare. It had given me a migraine.

I rubbed the right side of my head with my hand and continued walking around the room. Even the dim light in the cell was too bright for me. I briefly contemplated how to turn it off, or how to break it if it didn't have an off switch, when I heard a quick knock on the door, before it opened to reveal a person that was probably only going to make the migraine worse.

"I have great news; you're going to be released." I didn't trust the way Merlin smiled at me. The small grin didn't show her teeth, didn't touch her eyes. Whatever suspicions she'd had about me before were still there.

"Being released isn't the same as being found innocent," I stated, hoping she would add some clarification to my latest circumstances.

"You're being released on parole while the king and his council deliberate on your sentence." I knew there was more to it than that. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at her. I was hoping that she'd find my stance intimidating, and not like I was squinting my eyes at the harsh lights than hung in the hall behind her. "You'll be released into my custody while they sort things out," Merlin clarified again.

"Oh, no thank you," I spoke, and moved to shut the door.

She grabbed the door with her hand, holding it open. "This isn't a choice, (Y/n)." She stated, hiding the aggravation in her voice by opting for a smooth, controlled tone. "The King of Leones has granted you a large amount of freedom while this investigation continues, so he may find it insulting if you don't accept it."

"Whether I'm tied to Estarossa or tied to you, I'm still siting in a cage, so what's the difference?" I spat back. My mind hesitated on the thought of Estarossa again. Where was he? Stupid, I almost spoke out loud before burying the thought of him deep in my mind.

"The difference is three meals a day that aren't left-over scraps from the kitchen, a decent bed to sleep in, sun on your face, and maybe I'll even help you figure out that little dream of yours." She looked smug at the end of it. Arms crossed, leaning on one hip, I had to admit, she'd gotten my attention. I tried to hide my surprise, but we both knew I'd failed at that.

"Nightmares don't mean anything," I muttered, hoping to seem less interested.

"Yours do," She replied, pointing a finger at me. "And they'll only get worse if you stay here."

"Really, because I think they'll get worse if you go poking around inside my head trying to figure out what they mean in the first place."

"But you'll have answers," She argued.

"I'm not looking for answers. I'm looking for a way to return back to my life before all the demons and the holy knights and whatever you are decided to screw it up."

A look of aggravation washed over Merlin's face, but she continued, "I'm offering to help you-"

"Why?" I interrupted.

"Because you don't even know who you are." She stated the words confidently enough, but they were rushed, quicker than they should have been, which made her statement lose some of the curiosity it had meant to entice.

"I know very well who I am," I spoke; even if a little voice of reason spoke otherwise in the back of my head. "I'm (Y/n), I'm 20 years old, I work, worked, in a bar in Clarity Springs, and" and my voice faltered on the thought of my old home. Without any eminent threat of death nearby, the memories of my friends and the people I cared about seemed to be popping up more and more.

"Well if you want to return to that life then you need to get a job." Merlin started, her voice dragging me out of my thoughts. "In fact, a friend of mine owns a bar, and he could always use some more help." My mind was working at half the speed it should have been, so in theory, I should have been able to predict the last minute, on-the-fly, strategy Merlin was putting together right in front of me. "It would allow you to return to your working life, and you could remain safe, under my supervision until the king and his council come up with a sentence."

I hesitated on that. A day ago, I had no idea who this lady was. Now she was suddenly in charge of my life? She got to decide where I go, where I work, who I associate with, and every other little, meaningless choice that I made without a thought, she was suddenly in charge of all that? "What if I still say no?" I asked cautiously.

"Then you're going to remain stuck down here, defenseless, bored, and plagued by nightmares." I sighed at her words, and took my time debating the choice laid out in front of me. I wanted to make her squirm as she waited for my decision, but she seemed perfectly fine with giving me as much time to think as I wanted.

Heck, the voice in my dreams was right, I am reckless.

"Fine," I answered, keeping my arms crossed as I refused to look her in the eyes. Refused to acknowledge that she'd won.

"Good, now I have one other person to get," she waved her hand at me to follow as she walked down the hall to the next cell over. As I exited the cell, I saw guards standing behind her who I hadn't been able to see while inside my cell.

The guards didn't slap cuffs on my wrists, didn't poke or prod me to pick up my pace. They didn't say a word as we approached the cell next to mine. Merlin stepped up first, knocking briefly, before opening the door with a key I hadn't seen on her earlier.

"Growther, I have orders for your release from the king." I hesitated at Merlin's words. Did she know this guy too? I ignored the rest of their conversation, stuck in my own thoughts. It creeped me out about how she knew about the dream. Had she stood there staring at me while I was trapped in sleep? Probably, but not in a creeper sort of way. More like a scientist examining a new specimen sort of way, which was ten times worse.

"Are you coming with us?" I turned as Growther now spoke to me. I don't know what I had imagined he looked like, but I guess for all his odd questions and even odder answers, it hadn't been the person who stood before me.

"Yeah I am," I muttered softly. My head still hurt from earlier, and all this new information wasn't helping it. Hadn't Growther said he was a member of the Seven Deadly Sins? Does that make Merlin one of them? The two of them seemed familiar enough, but then where am I going now? Estarossa and Zeldris had mentioned the Seven Deadly Sins, they didn't seem happy about whoever these people were either. Was it possible to get mixed up with even a worse crowd than Estarossa and the rest of the ten commandments? All these questions made me want to be sick, or maybe that was the migraine.

I followed a few steps behind Merlin and Growther, the guards followed close behind me, an ever-present threat. At the very least, Merlin did say I'd get some answers out of this, maybe that's what I needed to be focused on, finding answers.

* * *

Okay, so yes, the chapter is supposed to be confusing, but hopefully it's not terribly confusing. Answers will be given, eventually, and I don't know entirely when, because this is turning out to be longer than expected. Thank you for reading.


	11. Chapter 11

Alrighty everyone, from this point on, spoilers beware!

Chapter 11

"I'm not wearing this." I exclaimed while glaring at my reflection.

"You said that you wanted to return to your normal life." Merlin commented. Sure, it was true, but even I never went this far with the uniform.

"In my normal life, I get to wear pants," I grumbled, pulling down on the short skirt so it at least covered my ass. "Not to mention my boots. Why can't I at least wear my boots?" The flimsy flats threated to fall off if I walked any faster than a casual stroll. Also, there was the one black thigh high stocking. I looked like a clown.

"Well you don't own the place, so you have to follow the rules." Merlin sighed.

"I didn't own the last place I worked at and I still got to dress the way I wanted." I argued, my hands balled into fists at my sides. I was more than tempted to break the mirror in front of me or maybe punch Merlin for tricking me into this.

"Take it up with Meliodas." Merlin commented, dismissing my anger and turning back to whatever she was doing.

I turned around to face her, a sharp reply on my tongue, but was stopped short as I watched her fidget with that crystal ball. The smoke was gray like rain clouds, leaving Merlin with a puzzled look on her face. It was kind of refreshing to see her look lost, rather than her normal smug self. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Looking for a friend," She muttered, her lips pressed together as she tried to concentrate.

"Want to add any detail?"

"No," her answer was a curt dismissal of my presence. I turned again, glaring at myself one more time in the mirror before walking downstairs to the main floor.

The Boars Hat was a relatively small building, with a couple of rooms above the main bar for the residing residents. How they managed to fit so many people in those rooms, I didn't know. Merlin had introduced me to the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins, and fortunately, or unfortunately, Meliodas was more than happy to have someone with experience working behind the bar.

For all the hate that I'd heard in Estarossa's voice, Meliodas really didn't seem to be that bad of person. Not to mention, the guy was clearly not dead, but I kept that observation to myself. The rest of the sins were nice enough; but I didn't know how much they knew about my predicament.

Except for Ban. I recognized him instantly. Despite the fact that he was already tipsy, and the chef apron he wore, he had definitely seen me with Estarossa as the commandments stormed Liones Castle. I didn't know how Merlin explained my circumstances to the other sins, but Ban didn't go blabbering to Meliodas or the other sins about me. A small mercy.

Elizabeth was sweet. Almost too sweet for me, maybe that was the price to pay for being raised in a palace and guarded her whole life. Although, she did seem genuine. There wasn't any devious plot hidden behind her blue eyes; her clumsiness was the only real threat she had. I had already saved four patrons from getting dowsed in ale as she cheerfully delivered each one. She also took up residence at the Boar Hat, and had no problem wearing the skimpy uniform. There was still something about her that made me nervous, like an old memory that I couldn't grasp.

I pushed the concern out of my mind, she was a princess after all. I'd probably heard about her growing up, maybe even seen a picture of the royal family together. They were basically celebrities to the kingdom.

Escanor was a frail little man, and when I looked him up and down, evaluating if he was a potential threat, he cowered behind the bar. Apparently, he too had owned a bar, but had left to help the sins defeat the commandments, although I had no idea what he could even do. Emotional support maybe? While I often caught him staring at me out of the corner of my eye, he never approached me. Whatever suspicions he had about me, he was too afraid to confront me about them.

Diane and King had just returned to the group, and with all the sins together, it had turned into a reunion of sorts. A very drunk, frivolous reunion. I had taken over pouring and serving the beer, giving Elizabeth the chance to relax and join in on the fun. Ban had cooked up the most amazing food that I'd ever tasted, apparently Meliodas wasn't allowed near the stove anymore, and I couldn't help but finally feel myself relax and enjoy myself a bit.

I drowned out the conversations around me, content to have a somewhat normal night. Sweeping the floor behind the bar, I found myself stopped short by a green pig wearing an earring on its left ear. My mouth half open, confusion written all over my face.

"What are you doing with my scraps?" it spoke; I might have fainted if the broom hadn't given me something to lean against. I still didn't say anything, too stunned to answer. "What, you've never seen a pig talk?" I slowly shook my head no, my mouth unable to form words. "Well, it's my sworn duty to clean up the scraps, you see, I'm the Captain of Scraps Disposal." The pig formally announced, before stepping towards the food on the ground, I stepped back to give him room. "You've got a lot to learn, (Y/n). I hope you can keep up."

I looked to the others who were sitting around the table, laughing, completely unconcerned about the green, talking pig. I looked back at the pig, still speechless and now wondering how it knew my name.

"Okay, pig," I started, my words soft as I muttered something about concerns for wild animals in a public restaurant.

"My name is Hawk, and I am the Captain of Scraps Disposal." It, Hawk, repeated. After devouring the scraps, he looked up at me, straight in the eyes. Hawk's eyes narrowed as he starred me down. I could almost see the wheels turning in his brain. "You're pretty strong for just a human. Not as strong as me, but definitely stronger than most people."

How did the pig know that? My mouth failed to form a response, as I nervously bit my lip. I looked towards the others out of the corner of my eye, no one had heard Hawk's declaration except me, but it made me nervous none the less.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I hissed at the pig, making sure I didn't draw anyone's attention.

"I find that hard to believe," Hawk commented, looking at me again. "How does a person with a power level of a thousand not know how strong they are? Did you train as a Holy Knight?" My eyes darted to Meliodas and his friends again, still no one seemed to be listening to us.

"No, I did not!" I exclaimed, my voice raised just enough for the others to turn their head and look at me, questions written on their faces. I met their gaze proudly. "I'm going to check on Merlin," I announced before setting the broom against the wall and headed towards the stairs. No one stopped me, but I could feel their stares on my back.

I waited ten seconds before turning the doorknob to the room where Merlin had been. The room was dim, a couple candles lit the room, but since the sun had set below the horizon, it was difficult to see. For a second, I thought that Merlin had left. Then I saw her, sitting at the table where she'd been before, head in her hands, her breath shallow and uneven.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, tentatively stepping closer. "Did you find your friend?" I asked, now standing next to her. I looked at the crystal ball in front of her. There was no smoke swirling around inside it, and if I squinted in the dark, I could see Merlin shivering. But it wasn't cold in here, in fact, despite the thin clothes I wore, it was warm. I reached to touch her shoulder, maybe she hadn't heard me, "Merlin, are you-"

Quicker than I thought possible she grabbed my wrist and pulled me close. Her gold eyes were wide and empty. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. I felt trapped in her stare as her eyes bore into mine.

Then I saw the person behind her eyes. But that's impossible, I thought. The person staring through Merlin at me, his eyes black with no pupil, hair to match. I'd seen him before, what had Estarossa called him? Zeldris?

"Oh, fucking shit," I exclaimed as I finally twisted my arm to release Merlin's grip. Loosing balance as I stepped back, I tripped and fell to the floor, then continued to scoot backwards away of Zeldris, or Merlin, or both. My back hit a wall, and I desperate searched for something to defend myself with.

Within a few seconds, the vision of Zeldris vanished from my mind, and Merlin was looking back at me. Fear written across both of our faces, but Merlin regained her composure first.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked her as I sucked air into my lungs, trying to shake the strange vision from my memory. Merlin didn't answer me; she stared at me instead, as if I was responsible for the demon taking over her mind. I blew out a breath and pushed myself off the floor, forcing myself to appear stronger than I felt. "Please tell me that was not the friend you were looking for," I stated, my voice stronger now, hands clenched at my sides.

"No, he wasn't," Merlin answered. The honesty in her voice surprised me. A silent question hung in the air between us. Then what was he doing in your head? I wanted to ask, but Merlin knew I recognized him. Not only that, I knew that he saw me, here, with the sins.

Zeldris had never wanted me around though. In fact, he had told Estarossa to kill me, that I was a distraction. What were the chances that he would give a crap about where I was or what I was doing?

I forced myself to regain my composure, allowing the anger to leave my voice, "Maybe you should come downstairs for a little bit. Everyone is here, it might help you relax." Surprisingly, Merlin agreed as she stood to walk past me, any trace of her previous fear was gone.

"You're coming too?" She asked, but it felt more like an order. I bit my lip to keep from rolling my eyes at her and followed her out the door.

As Merlin sat at a table, I grabbed a pint for each of us. Whatever had happen upstairs had earned us both a drink. Setting it down in front of her, I took the seat to her right, taking a long chug. The bitter-sweet taste wiped away the rest of my concern, and I didn't set the glass down till it was half empty. Merlin sipped at hers; and rubbed her forehead with her other hand.

Escanor fidgeted in the background, looking between Merlin and myself, before sitting next to Merlin. I had to take another drink to hide my smirk as I studied the way he looked her. Of course, he was in love with her. Too bad he couldn't muster up the courage to do anything about it.

I glanced at the others examining the reaction to Merlin's presence. Elizabeth and Diane were a mixture of confusion and concern, but the guys were too drunk to notice anything out of the ordinary. Growther, who apparently couldn't drink because he was a doll, (like what the fuck?) stared at the two of us, expression unreadable.

The night continued like that. I grabbed a few more rounds for the guys, Merlin sipped on her one drink, and slowly the awkward energy dispersed from the air. I felt comfortable again as I cleaned the glasses behind the bar, having a second drink myself. Merlin still looked exhausted, but how could I blame her? Hopefully, she'd feel better in the morning.

I watched the others retreat upstairs a few hours later. Ban had passed out under a table; and Elaine poked and prodded him a couple of times to get him up, before giving up all together and headed up stairs.

"Do you want any help, (Y/n)?" Elizabeth spoke as she picked up a glass and dried it with a clean rag. I looked at her, surprised she hadn't gone upstairs yet. I hadn't seen her drink much, but her eyelids were heavy, despite offering to stay and clean up.

"You can go to sleep if you want, I'm used to the night life." I replied; she didn't though. She continued drying glasses as I finished rinsing them. I felt her glance at me every so often, her eyes held questions that she was obviously too afraid to ask. I turned to face her, setting the last glass in front of her, "What is it?" I asked; she jumped at my words, a timid expression on her face.

"I just," she started, staring down at the glass as she dried it over and over again, her mind elsewhere. "You look familiar," She spoke as she set the glass on the rack with the rest of the clean cups.

"I guarantee that I have never met you before in my life," I commented almost too quickly. She looked at me in surprise, "Sorry," I added awkwardly.

"I don't see how we would have met, but you remind me of someone. Someone that I think I forgot." Now it was my turn to stare at her in confusion. I really didn't know what to say; I'd had that strange Deja vu feeling as well, but she was essentially famous, so it was easy for me to write off.

"Well if you ever remember, maybe you can tell me about it, and we can compare notes." I dismissed the strange conversation and walked towards the front door. "I'm going out for a bit, I normally don't sleep until sunrise, so I'm really not tired yet."

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked, hope in her eyes.

"You look like your ready to pass out; I'll be fine on my own." I glanced back at her as my hand pressed against the door, she looked defeated. "I won't go far." I walked out the door and shut it behind me. The cold was sharp against my bare skin, and my skirt fluttered in the wind. Thankfully, there was no one out here to witness it.

I breathed out, welcoming the fresh air, the quiet darkness. My eyes adjusted to the night, and I could see tall trees to one side and faint lights from the city on the other. The Boar's Hat was too far from town to hear any of the late-night ruckus, but for once, I welcomed the silence. Goose bumps pricked my arms and legs, but the feeling made me feel more alive than I'd felt in a long time. I leaned against the wall; and let my mind wander.

How strange was it that Elizabeth had felt the same way I did? In fact, why was she even here? The pub and the sins certainly were not what I considered appropriate companions for a princess. Especially, with everything that's been happening lately. But I'd also seen the way she glanced at Meliodas and the way she hung on his every word. In my opinion, they made an interesting couple, if you could call them that.

I pushed off the wall and walked down the path that had been trampled into the grass by all the customers who made the hike to and from the bar. The night was clear, and the stars shown high above me, every once in a while, one shot through the sky as it died, light years away from here. I sighed, too many questions floated around in my head that I had no answers for.

And then there were the questions that I didn't want answered. Like, why was Zeldris inside Merlin's mind? What the heck had she been doing? Why hadn't she said anything to Meliodas or the others when she came down to join them? Was I worried about her? Maybe. After all, I knew how much it sucked to be manipulated by a demon.

Oh, and then there was Estarossa. I'd managed to keep any thought of him pushed down in the deepest, darkest depths of mind, hoping that he would never resurface, and here he was. I grimaced at the thought of Estarossa. Sure, I was curious about what had happened to him, I was scared that he'd come back into my life, and I was… I don't know how else I felt about him. It was confusing.

I shook my head, trying to erase him from my mind as I turned around ready to head back inside, when I stopped short.

A dark silhouette stood about twenty feet in front of me, perfectly positioned between myself and the Boars Hat. I stared at the new person, I hadn't seen where they came from, hadn't even heard them. The lights from the Boars Hat had all been turned off, everyone inside fast asleep, and my eyes struggled to identify the person before me.

"Who-" I started, but never got the chance to finish. The person moved so fast that I couldn't comprehend his speed. Something hit me in my stomach, and I doubled over, falling on my knees before him. "Okay, that's not-" I started again, before feeling a hand around my neck, squeezing the sides and blocking the blood from reaching my brain. I desperately pried at the hand around my neck, terror racked my whole body. _Not again, not again!_ I thought as I remembered Melascula's attack. With his free hand, he grabbed my wrists, holding them in place.

My vision began to fade in and out, the person before me was patient though. He was careful enough not to harm my trachea, and although I could breath, my brain slowly fogged over from the lack of blood flow. Black dots danced in my vision. The stranger leaned closer, until I could see that he wasn't a stranger at all.

Zeldris.

The newfound fear gave me an extra burst of energy as I struggled against his hold; he increased the pressure on my neck. What was he doing here? Was he really going to kill me now that Estarossa was out of the way? Why bother? I wasn't a threat to him. The thoughts ran rampantly through my mind. Finally, my vision left completely, and I felt my body go limp before him.

* * *

I woke when my head hit the stone floor. "Ow," I groaned, rolling over on my side, drawing my knees up to my chest. My body felt numb all over, but as my vision cleared, the feelings in my limbs returned. I felt my heart race in my chest, and I briefly wondered how much more of this it could take before it gave out altogether.

Carefully, I pushed myself up to my hands and knees, before sitting back on my heels to take in my new prison. At least, I'm assuming it was a prison; because what else would Zeldris want with me? Actually, I really didn't understand why I was still alive if he wanted me dead from the beginning.

Everything seemed to be made of stone. To my left, were three steps that led up to what looked like a stone table, but no, it wasn't a table. I looked closer, squinting my eyes against the dim light. I could hear water inside it, like a shallow well, or tub, but from this angle, I couldn't see anything inside it. The room itself was large, and several other structures like the one closest to me lined the room to my left.

I flinched as I looked to my right. There was a door, wide open, but blocked by Zeldris himself. His arms crossed, as he observed me from afar. I couldn't read his expression; had no idea what he was thinking.

I stood and turned in a slow circle, trying to figure out where I was. Of course, nothing was recognizable. I groaned again and turned to face Zeldris, hands on my hips, glaring at him.

"I thought you wanted me dead," I commented. Not originally what I intended to say, but the words fell out of my mouth.

I watched him look at me to the structure behind me and back to me. His expression unreadable. "I think you can actually prove useful to me," he muttered, as if there was shame in admitting he needed my help. Fat chance, like I'd ever help him.

"How'd you find me?" Stupid question, he'd seen me through Merlin; knew I was with the sins. "No, why'd you bother to find me? Estarossa told me that you ordered him to kill me." I asked, my voice rising in anger.

I watched Zeldris close his eyes slowly before opening them again. I got the feeling that he was trying not to kill me right now. "I'm hoping that you'll be able to wake him up," Zeldris answered, before nodding towards the stone structure. I turned following his gaze, confusion written all over my face.

"What are you," I heard the door shut behind me, and the click of a lock followed. Thus, preventing my escape. At least, until I thought of something else.

Carefully, I walked up the stairs, my curiosity getting the better of me, and looked down. The water couldn't have been more than two feet deep, but it was the person inside who caused adrenaline to rush through my body. Even if he really was asleep or unconscious, I still felt the fear of my previous encounters with him.

Estarossa.

* * *

Wow this chapter ended up a lot longer than I had expected it to be. Chapter postings may slow down, because I accepted a new job offer and am now in the process of moving halfway across the country. Also, I should probably mention that when I post the next chapter the rating will increase to M. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

So adult content ahead, honestly, if you don't want to read it, you can probably just skip this chapter and not really miss anything too relevant to the plot.

Chapter 12

I stood frozen in place. Every cell in my body screamed at me to run, but I had nowhere to go. Glancing around the room, I saw no windows, and the only door had been locked from the outside when Zeldris left.

Looking down at Estarossa again, seeing his eyes closed, his face relaxed, I almost felt the fear vanish. What if he really was comatose? Then there was very little chance that he'd wake up now, and I was relatively safe. Yeah, my luck had never been that good. Zeldris was probably right; somehow, I'd manage to wake him up.

I scowled at Estarossa. Even unconscious, he managed to make my life miserable. Glancing down at him, I couldn't help but feel some twinge of familiarity. Sure, he had tortured me for days, but I'd never seen him rest, never seen him look quite so peaceful, despite how wrong that sounded in my head. So why did I have that nasty Deja vu sensation again?

 _Gray clouds hung in the sky; rain stung my cheeks as I lay on the ground. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around my head, protecting myself from the bitter cold. A heavy weight pressed against my back, and a high-pitched ring clamored in my ears._

 _Why was this happening again? I pressed the palms of my hands against my ears, desperate to drown out the ringing, but nothing worked. It was as if the sound came from inside my head, even though I heard it all around me._

 _I'm not going to make it!_

My eyes opened wide, panicked. What the hell was happening to me? I glanced down at Estarossa again, and this time I screamed. Black eyes met my (e/c) ones and I immediately stepped backwards, misplaced my footing, and tumbled down the stairs.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I shrieked, as I scrambled backwards on the floor, desperately trying to coordinate my arms and legs. I didn't even feel the pain from the fall; all my attention was now on the threat in front of me. Finally, I pushed myself up to stand, my legs trembling beneath me. How mad would he be? I whipped my head around, but there was no chance of escape.

I watched him sit up and push the damp silver strands out of his eyes before standing up and turning to face me. A sly smirk on his lips turned into an all-out grin as he recognized me. I didn't want to know the evil, vile thoughts that were running through his mind right now. I sucked in a breath as I stared back at him, noticing something that I really didn't know how I managed to miss earlier.

"Oh my god, you're naked!" I turned around quickly, covering my now red cheeks with my hands. My whole body felt hot as I tried to erase the image from my mind. "You're like really, really naked!" I shouted again, too embarrassed to turn around and face him.

"Have you been here the whole time?" Estarossa spoke directly behind me. I stepped forward, not sure where I was going to run, but a hand grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me towards him, my back pressed against his chest.

"No!" I yelled; pulling against him. Estarossa wrapped his right arm around my waist, holding me in place. My hands pried at his arm, trying to pull it away from me, but he was too strong. Of all the situations I thought I'd get myself into, well, this wasn't even on the list.

Then Estarossa grabbed my wrists with his free hand and wrenched them above my head, leaving me standing on my tip toes, my balance threatening to fail if it weren't for Estarossa hold me up. I tried to wriggle my hands free, but it was no use, I was trapped.

"Let me go!" I shouted. My face was still red, so I didn't dare look up at him.

"Who brought you here, (Y/n)?" He asked, his voice sounded more dangerous than before. But why? I felt warm fingers trace my left hip where my shirt had ridden up, and if possible, my face flushed even more.

"Let go of me!" I repeated; feebly pushing against him. His grip on my wrists tightened, and I was briefly reminded of the pain that he could cause. "Zeldris!" I answered, and his grip loosened just enough for the pain to fade.

Finally, I looked up at him, as I tried to figure out what he was thinking; desperate for any information that might get me out of this situation. My (e/c) eyes met his back ones, but his expression was unreadable. I felt my cheeks turn pink again as his gaze moved down my body to the shirt that had ridden up to show my stomach and then to the skirt that barely covered me. "What are you wearing?" His right hand released its grip on my waist to press flat against my bare stomach.

"Clothes; maybe you should get some of your own!" I turned away from Estarossa, refusing to let him see the flustered look on my face. What's wrong with me? A panicked thought ran through my head. I watched half mortified as Estarossa's hand moved from my stomach to the bottom edge of the skirt and gently tugged on it. A fresh wave of panic rushed through my body as I attempted to push Estarossa away.

"You've been running around in this in public?" Now I could hear the aggravation in his voice, and jealously? But he didn't pull at the fabric again.

"Not exactly," I muttered, not sure why I needed to explain myself.

I pulled my arms down again, trying to catch him off guard. It might have worked, except he wrenched them up at the last second, nearly dislocating my shoulders. Pain ran through out my body, but Estarossa didn't seem to notice, or care. His right hand grabbed my chin and forcefully angled my face up to meet his. "You belong to me." I could hear the desire in his voice; see the lust in his eyes. My own eyes went wide as I pulled my face away from his, the heat that had been burning in my cheeks now settled lower in my stomach.

"Estarossa, please let me go," my voice barely above a whisper. I watched his free hand move back towards my abdomen; fingers trailing up under my top, tracing my ribs, stopping just beneath my breasts. I tightly closed my eyes, willing my heart to slow down, for the blush to fade from my cheeks.

Soft lips pressed against the side of my neck and warmth spread through my body. Suddenly it was too hot and Estarossa's touch burned against my skin, but I didn't want to pull away. This is bad, a distant voice spoke in my mind, probably my sanity, but that seemed to be out the door. I felt his lips move against my skin as he used his tongue to tease and torment me.

Then I felt his teeth as he bit the tender skin of my neck. His hand moved up and cupped the bare skin of my breast, and my eyes fluttered open, a gasp escaping my lips. Estarossa sucked on the wound he'd created, easing the pain away and I felt him pinch my nipple between his fingers, sending electric shocks to the core of my body.

"This is," I started, my arms pulling against their restraints, desperate for an escape. I bit my lip to keep any sound from escaping, as I felt Estarossa's free hand move to my neglected breast. I felt his thumb run over the bud, circling it, teasing me. My thoughts ran wild in my head. How on earth had I gotten into this situation? Didn't he see me as expendable? He'd spent most of his time torturing or threatening me, so what was this supposed to be? Another form of torment? Possibly. So why was my own body betraying me?

A sharp pinch to my abused nipple almost sent me screaming. "Stop thinking," Estarossa's voice was rough, his lips brushed against my ear as he spoke, sending shivers down my spine. Although I wasn't sure if it was out of fear or arousal.

I was too tongue tied to respond; too afraid that my voice would betray my mind. I felt his fingers trace down across my bare skin to the front of my skirt, pausing in their advance. When I tried to wriggle away from his touch, Estarossa pressed his hand flat against my abdomen, pushing my body back into his.

"I'll make a deal with you," He started, fingers tracing the edge of my skirt, "If you're not wet, then we won't have sex." Alarm registered in my head just as quickly as I felt heat bloom throughout my body, settling between my legs.

I struggled against his hold again even though I knew that it was useless. "Estarossa please," I begged, but the words came out more as a breathless sigh than a plea for him to stop.

Estarossa's fingertips edge beneath the top of my skirt, tracing the delicate skin there before moving lower. My breathing hitched, anticipation sending goose bumps over my skin at the thought of what was coming next. Estarossa slid a finger in between my folds and I felt another rush of heat flood my body, a gasp threatened to escape my lips. "Uh oh," I heard him murmur as he repeated the movement, his finger now moving up and down my slit, spreading the wetness he found there.

My body treacherously arched back against his as Estarossa pushed my thighs apart, granting himself more access to my core. My half hood gaze locked with his as I looked up, and I felt my cheeks flush as he pressed his hips against my lower back grinding his erection against me.

The hand that held my wrists captive quickly released them and moved to the back of my head. His fingers twisting in my hair as he pulled, arching my neck back to cover my lips with his in an open mouth kiss. _Mine_ , I jumped at the foreign thought in my head. Estarossa had never spoken to my mind before, but I wouldn't put it past him that he had the ability. My body leaned back into his, my arms reached up behind me, wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

I felt teeth graze my lower lip as Estarossa took control of the kiss, his tongue in my mouth, kissing me slowly at his own leisure. A sigh escaped my lips as he continued to brush his fingers against my core, drawing patterns across the sensitive nerves, a light, teasing touch that was just enough to leave me wanting more. Then his lips pulled away from mine, and my lungs sucked in a breath, desperate for air. I could feel his body, hot and hard behind me, and just as I was wondering how long he'd draw this out, I felt his finger slip inside me. My eyes went wide, and I groaned at the sensation. My body rocked against his fingers of its own accord; I could feel Estarossa's gaze on me, judging my reaction.

A soft whimper escaped my lips as he pulled his hand away, leaving me craving more. Then I heard the sharp tear of fabric and my eyes went wide, this time with new fear as the sound brought me back to reality. "Wait!" I shouted as I looked down. I don't know when Estarossa had released his grip on my hair, I'd been too lost in the moment, but now both hands were wrapped in the fabric of my skirt. The piece of cloth now ripped down the middle exposing my panties.

I pushed away from Estarossa, backing away a few steps before I found myself cornered against a wall. I turned to face him as he stalked towards me and watched him raise his fingers to his lips and then suck the fluid off them. "You taste delicious," I blushed at his smirk, glancing quickly from side to side for an escape. What had gotten into me? What had I been thinking? Oh yeah, that's right. I hadn't been thinking.

I made a last-minute dive to my right but Estarossa grabbed me, pushing me back up against the wall, trapping me. "You can't run away now, (Y/n)," his words were unusually soft as he placed one hand against my cheek, bringing my lips up to his in a slow tender kiss. I couldn't help myself as I melted against him; my hands moved up to rest on his chest and I could feel his muscles flex beneath my touch. Somewhere in the back of my mind, the last of my sanity screamed at me to pull away and run, but that voice was snuffed out as Estarossa's free hand wrapped around the small of my waist.

As sweet as the moment had been, Estarossa pulled away from me, stepping back and crossing his arms. "Now take your clothes off," I paled at his commanding tone, defiance rising in my chest. "If you don't want me to do it, then take them off yourself." Estarossa glared down at me. I held his stare, my fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails digging into the palms of my hands. For a moment, Estarossa had actually convinced me that he could be more than just the controlling prick that he is.

I waited another second before I had to pull my gaze away from his as I felt a blush creep across my cheeks. It was tough for me to stare anyone down, but it was especially difficult to stare down Estarossa when he stood naked and aroused in front of me. I pressed my lips together, trying to focus my concentration, as my fingertips lifted the hem of my shirt over my head. I kicked off the shoes next, pushed down the thigh high stocking, and reached behind my back to unclasp my bra. As the bra fell to the floor, I hooked my thumbs on the sides of my panties, before looking at Estarossa hotly and pushing them to the ground.

I stood up straight, arms crossed, weight on one hip as I looked up at Estarossa. "Well," I waited patiently for a response as I watched Estarossa's eyes hungerly move up and down my figure.

Suddenly my head was slammed against the wall, a hand at my throat, pinning me in place. "What the fuck was that for?" I yelled, my fingers clawing at the hand Estarossa had wrapped around my neck.

"Don't think for a second that you have any control here," Estarossa's voice was menacing as his lips brushed mine. I felt his left-hand reach around my hip and squeeze my ass before wrapping my leg around his hip, arching my body into his.

"You," I started, suddenly angry at Estarossa, but he cut me off with a swift kiss. My arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair, and I felt the hand around my neck loosen and move to my right leg before he picked me up, my legs wrapped around his waist. I gasped as the tip of his erection pressed against my entrance, and a new wave of heat rushed my body. I bit down on his lip and heard Estarossa groan as he started to push himself inside me. "Estarossa you're too big," I whimpered, my body struggling to accommodate him.

"Relax, (Y/n)" Estarossa spoke, kissing me tenderly. A sigh escaped my lips and I felt Estarossa push forward again, burying himself inside me. I gasped as he began to move, my nails digging into his skin, leaving scratches down his back.

"Estarossa," I groaned, as he picked up the pace. I felt my muscles tighten around him, urging him to move faster, harder. I felt his grip on my thighs tighten, the pressure in my body started to grow, the promise of sexual bliss building inside of me. "Don't stop," I moaned, my own hips moving to meet his.

"Shit, Estarossa you're going to make me cum," I muttered, the words falling out of my mouth.

"That's the point," Estarossa spoke, his voice hoarse as his teeth closed over the sensitive skin of my neck. Estarossa picked up the pace, and I felt his body shift below mine, so that his hand moved between us and I felt his thumb press down on my clit, sending me over the edge. My orgasm rushed through my body, making my muscles spasm around Estarossa and a moment later, Estarossa's own body shuddered with release, his body pressed close to mine.

My fingers wound their way in his silver hair, pulling his face up to mine. "I won't let anyone take you from me again," Estarossa spoke, pressing his lips against mine.

This is the dumbest move I've ever made, a voice in the back of my head spoke; but I ignored it as I kissed him back. My body still tightly wrapped around him; I couldn't help but wonder if there was some other time that I'd been taken away from him.

Wow, so that's the longest lemon I've ever written in my life. You're welcome.


End file.
